Cultural Identit y
By Mohsen Keiany
No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.
Mahatma Gandhi 1869 - 1948
Issue 23 publication date July 2010
EDITORIAL - Heather Wells
05 KEYNOTE - Rabbi Jackie Tabick
04
Humility, the quality of true leadership
07
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - Helen Harrison
Learning from Religion
30
POEM - Sr.Katharine Holstrom - Reflection
09 YOUTH INITIATIVE - Sean Rose and Pritpal Kaur
08
Putting Faith into Action: Faiths Act
11
THEME - FAITH AND LEADERSHIP
11
Sacred Script - Sirach
12
Nurturing a spiritual transformation
- Barney Leith
14
Women and Leadership in Islam - Shiban Akbar
16
Leading by Example - Maureen Sier
17
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Sarah Sheriff - Something of Beauty
18
14
PILGRIMAGE - Simon Kenny - Honouring the Kami
20 LIFESTORY - Michael Wilson - God’s guiding hand
22 ART AND MEDITATION - Malcolm Dick on
18
Mohsen Keiany - Mythical Legacy
24
INTERFAITH ENCOUNTER - Mary Braybrooke
Elders - Revered or Redundant?
WOMEN’S INTERFAITH WORKSHOPS
26 LANGUAGE OF ART - Seeds of Thought 25
22
Art of Poetry - Conflict
28
REFLECTION - Dr Mukti Barton
The Paradox of Love
30
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - Children of
Lomond School - Experiencing Sikh Generosity
32
BOOK REVIEW - Shuaib Karriem/Chris Chivers
Fully Alive
WHAT’S ON - Inter Faith Week 2010
33 FEMININE AND THE DIVINE - Professor
32
Ursula King - Gendering the Spirit: a silent revolution
INSIGHT - Meena Verma - Restoring “the broken”
36 POEM - Rebecca Irvine Bilkau -
34
A Masterclass in Scholarship
37
COLOURS OF THE DIVINE
37
Script - Hans Hoffman
38
Colours of Light - Umm Hanié Rebler
40
Colours of the Chakras - Caroline Jariwala/
Alena Pergl Wilson
41
27
FOCUS - Tariq Ramadan
WHAT I BELIEVE
SUBSCRIPTION
44 EDITORIAL NOTE
45 MIND, BODY & SPIRIT - Michael Lewin
43
A peaceful simplicity
46
CIRCLING THE WORLD - Rev Dr Marcus Braybrooke
Celebrating Difference Discovering Unity
47
BOOK REVIEW - Eleanor Nesbitt / Owen Cole
Cole Sahib
48
RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM - Suzanne Rees Glanister
Holiness and the Halo
50
FAITH & THE ARTIST - Judith Peacock
Chasing a Chimera
3
I
SPIRAL THE
E
S
H
Heather Wells
Initiative Interfaith Trust
Registered Charity No. 1113345
Trustees: Heather Wells, Lorna Douglas,
Jonathan Lockhart
Object:
The promotion of religious harmony by: Providing
educational resources and information to promote a
better awareness of the causes and consequences of interreligious tensions and conflicts; and educating the public in
the diverse nature of religious belief.
Faith Initiative Magazine
Editorial team –
Editor: Heather Wells
Deputy Editor & Design Consultant:
Lorna Douglas
Onn Keet Peng • Charanjit Ajit Singh
Sr. Maureen Goodman • Shiban Akbar Matthew
Youde
Poet in residence: Rebecca Irvine
Aim: The aim of Faith Initiative Magazine is to open windows
on the beliefs and practices of world religions, in the hope
that this will foster understanding and reduce religiously
motivated violence.
Statement: Whilst the contents of this magazine will always
be in accordance with the ‘object’ of Initiative Interfaith Trust
there will be freedom of expression.
Invitation: We invite you to contribute articles, poems,
letters, illustrations and responses so that the magazine
reflects the religious communities it seeks to serve. Editorial
guidance can be obtained from Heather Wells, PO Box
110, Lancaster LA2 6GN
Email: [email protected]
Issue 24 Themes:
• Symbols of Faith
• Faith & Social Justice
Front cover: Detail of Altar Frontal by Judith Peacock
Back Cover: Poem by R.S. Thomas from ‘Frequencies’
1978 Collected Poems 1945-1990 pub.J.M.Dent 1993
Design & Print - Print Graphic Ltd
T: (01228) 593900
THE S
P
THE SPIRAL
T
We thank all our contributors - writers, artists, poets and photographers – and
of course subscribers. We also gratefully acknowledge the support of donors, who wish
to remain anonymous. To sustain and develop the magazine however we need regular
financial donations. If any readers know of Trust Funds, Grants or private donors who may
be willing to help with funding, however big or small, the Editor (Heather Wells) would
appreciate your advice and/or recommendations. For contact details please see above.
4
L THE SP
IR
IRA
t is Aung San Suu Kyi’s 65th birthday and this is her message to the world,
released exclusively by a friend and political ally, U Win Tin, to The
Independent newspaper on the 18th June 2010. It is a heart-rending
appeal that embodies within it decades of anxious yearning for justice for the
Burmese people. As the elected leader of Burma’s National League for
Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi is desperate, along with U Win Tin and other
members of NLD, to keep the eyes of the world focused on their fight for
democracy, as the oppressive ruling regime endeavours to squeeze the
breath of life out of the party and its people. Mary Robinson, former UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights, tells us in the same edition of the
newspaper that in meetings held by The Elders an empty chair is kept at the
discussion table for Aung San Suu Kyi: the chair is draped in Burmese silk as
a poignant reminder of her continued suffering, and also that of more than
2,100 other political prisoners in Burma. The number of prisoners – many of
whom will be monks and nuns arrested for taking part in the peaceful
protests of 2007 – is both shocking and alarming and is indicative of the
inability of the regime to tolerate any form of challenge to its hold on power.
I cannot help but fear for the future of Burma as a nation, with a leadership
that values domination over, rather than nurture of, its people. How will the
voice of reason ever penetrate the barriers of resistance! I have no answer,
but I am intrigued, at the mention by Mary Robinson of The Elders, a
promising title in religious circles. I am heartened to discover that it is a nonpolitical independent group of distinguished world leaders called together by
Nelson Mandela in July 2007 to offer their collective influence and
experience to support peace building world wide. Each member has had to
have earned international trust, demonstrated integrity and built up a
reputation for inclusive, progressive leadership. At last we have a global
initiative drawing on the wisdom of elders for guidance and leadership - and
they are calling for a UN-led international dialogue with the military junta of
Burma in an effort to bring peace to that fractured nation. Much of the work
of The Elders is behind the scenes challenging injustice and stimulating
dialogue and debate, and whilst the encounter with this regime will be a
difficult one in which its mindset will have to be profoundly changed,
we must maintain hope and pray for The Elders – of which Aung
L
RA
I
P
San Suu Kyi is an Honorary Member – that they achieve their
goal and bring a much longed for liberty and justice to the
Burmese people.
www.faithinitiative.co.uk
AL
“please use your liberty
to promote ours”
SPIRAL: “This is an ancient
symbol that reminds us of
the womb and the protective
mothering nature in all of us.
It takes us from the broad
sweeps of the outer life to an
infinitely small centre where
we cease to exist.”
Cited: Mandalas: Spiritual Circles for Harmony & Fulfilment
Laura J.Watts (2002) Pub.Hermes House,
London ISBN 184308 973 7
The spiral logo was designed by Caroline Jariwala
for Initiative Interfaith Trust
Rabbi Jackie Tabick • KEYNOTE
Humility
the quality of
true leadership
Certainly, the Bible is replete with examples of those who tried
to avoid accepting such jobs. The prophet Isaiah complained he
could not fulfil a prophetic role because of his unclean lips, so
God remedied, according to Isaiah’s vision, by simply cleansing
them with burning coals. Or Jonah, ordered by God to bring
about the repentance of Nineveh’s inhabitants, who hired a boat
going in the opposite direction and it took a trip inside a whale
to get him back on task. Or Moses, there was God speaking to
him out of a burning bush that miraculously was not consumed,
but did that great sight persuade him to assume the leadership
of the Jewish people? No way! He argued with God every step
of the way claiming that he would not be able to get the words
out in proper manner, but God just suggested he used his
brother Aaron as a spokesperson.
W
ho would want to be a leader? Just consider the
wisdom behind this Yiddish saying: ‘Beware of the
leader’s seat, it shifts’. This proverb exemplifies
much that is generally thought of in Judaism as an unenviable
occurrence, namely, that of having to assume any substantial
leadership position. Indeed, in Jewish tradition we are taught that
the ideal candidate for any high status post is one who expresses
sincere unwillingness for the job. Anyone too anxious to adopt
such a task is already, so the Jewish sages have taught, liable to be
unsuitable because of their ambitious nature and their lust for
power. Such a person, they aver, is unlikely to look after the needs
of those whom they are called to rule, especially the vulnerable.
In fact, by looking at the career of Moses we can perhaps best
understand what Judaism saw as the fundamental value that had
to underpin any leadership role. Apart from the obvious values of
compassion, of understanding the needs of those being ruled, of
being able to inspire others and of courage to act in times of
adversity, above all, Moses was described as being a ‘humble man’
and a ‘servant of God’. Almost counter-intuitively, Judaism sees
humility as a sine qua non of any leader. Now we usually think of
humility in the way Dickens describes Uriah Heep’s cloying
humility and obsequiousness in David Copperfield, all hand
wringing and claims of unworthiness to complete any task. But
actually, true humility, as practiced by Moses and advocated by
Judaism is not like that at all.
In Judaism we are taught that being humble means that yes, we
have to recognise our personal limitations in a fair and
considered manner, but it does not absolve us of the obligation
to take responsibility for the roles that we are capable of
fulfilling. Indeed, we must recognise that all of us, at various points
in our adult lives, have to take on leadership roles. Indeed, on
many occasions, multiple leadership roles at the same time.
Sometimes as parents, guiding our children; sometimes at work
when we teach others how to fulfil a task or have to run
projects; sometimes in our communities or in the political sphere
or sometimes even when we are just out and about involved in
the daily tasks of shopping or travelling around.
5
KEYNOTE • Rabbi Jackie Tabick
We are encouraged in the Jewish tradition to accept
responsibility where we can be of help. Hillel, a first century sage
used to teach, ‘Where there is no man, try to be a man’i, perhaps
better translated today as ‘Where none take responsibility, try to
take responsibility’. We are not allowed to turn our backs on the
need for leaders in society. I especially love a teaching I learned
from Rabbi Lionel Blue. He taught me that angels can be found all
around us, often in surprising places, unaware themselves of their
angelic status but bringing to us God’s
messages on how we should be
conducting ourselves. If you like, acting as
leaders, telling us which way to go, what
to do with our lives.
away from the world for the glory of God. What we do advocate
is remembering that God is, and through seizing that awareness
to make that teaching and feeling the basis of our lives and use it
to make the world a better place. The question in Judaism is
always, how can my spirituality help me face the world? How can
it strengthen me so that, guided in true humility, I can turn to
fulfilling the will of the creator of all life, succour the vulnerable
and the needy so in that way come closer to my Creator. Can I
as a leader help bring about that great
Messianic future of social justice, of
peace and plenty, of a healthy world, for
which we pray.
I need to
remember that I
am part of
creation; I do not
rule creation,
God does
But, and it is an important ‘but’, we
have to acknowledge that the entire
universe was not created for our benefit
alone. It is against the back drop of
eternity and the knowledge of the
greatness of God’s creation that we have
to place our needs and desires and the
manner and the values that should guide
us, especially when we assume the role
of leaders. True humility, as exemplified
by Moses, is understanding that I as an individual, and especially as
an individual with power, even if my power extends over just one
other individual, or over an entire nation, I need to remember
that I am part of creation; I do not rule creation, God does. But I
do have responsibilities to that creation, to society because Jewish
tradition demands that we work with God as partners in the
work of creation. We believe absolutely that people are never
nearer to God then when we respond in love, justice and
sympathy to the needs of others. And that often means taking on
the burdens of leadership.
This attitude is one that I try to always have before me in any
of the leadership roles that I find myself occupying during the
course of any one day. It drives me to work to improve interfaith
understanding. How can I claim that any of us can know the
ineffable God? God is so far beyond our human understanding, we
can just have glimpses of that Divine Being, and then only if we are
lucky and if we study and meditate and try to do our bit for
society and the environment. I need to be humble enough as a
Jewish leader to acknowledge that there are paths to God, and
that often I can learn to enhance my own religious life through
contact with others of different faiths.
Again, mainstream Judaism has never encouraged the
contemplative route of some of the world religions. We have
never advised going to live in the desert, or locking ourselves
6
Similarly, we are not a religion that has
spent artistic, spiritual and literary effort
imagining what awaits us after death.
Most Jews do believe in some sort of
after life, but the details we leave up to
God. Our responsibility is to do the best
we can while we are alive to make this a
better place for all to live.
Leadership is not a route to fame and
glory and great riches…at least, it
shouldn’t be. As leaders we should seek to serve, with humility, in
such a way that we can help point the way to a better future for
all. No wonder so few want to accept the role!
Hillel used to teach:
If I am not for myself,
who will be for me?
If I am only for myself,
what am I?
And if not now,
when?
Ethics of the Fathers
Rabbi Jackie Tabick is Rabbi at North West Surrey Synagogue, Patron of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality, on the Executive of
the Interfaith Network UK and Chair of the World Congress of Faiths.
i Ethics of the Fathers 2:6
Helen Harrison • Religious education
Learning from Religion
Lancashire SACRE – Listening to the Authentic Voice of Faith
L
Thus, for example, not only do we learn that for many
ancashire SACRE [Standing Advisory Council of Religious
Education] believes in listening to young people. For the Christians sacrifice is a central message from the Easter story,
past six years it has hosted a Youth Conference for pupils understanding that for people of belief, Jesus' death showed what
from various phases. The 14 – 17 year olds told us they wanted real love for others is about, we also have the opportunity to
to engage with 'real' religion and made a plea for authenticity, not reflect on what we might be prepared to sacrifice, for whom and
always found in text books. The 11- 13 year olds asked to tackle why. Learning from religion is as important as learning about
'the big questions – that teachers sometimes avoid'. Thus issues religion in this model.
such as death, reconciliation, extremism, hope and justice must be
As with all subjects in the current curriculum, Lancashire's RE
tackled to satisfy this need for addressing fundamental questions
seeks to develop skills and attitudes. To be fully rounded
that life throws out. All the Youth Conferences have celebrated
individuals and responsible citizens pupils need to be able to
difference while acknowledging and exploring, with faith
question, analyse, assess, evaluate, empathise as well as developing
members, the issues it creates. To achieve this authentic enquiry
many other skills. When planning learning
Lancashire SACRE turns to a syllabus that
teachers also need to consider how to address
genuinely engages with living religion and to
open – mindedness, appreciation and wonder,
Whether it is a
partnerships with local faith groups.
respect for all and – possibly the most
fourteen-year-old
challenging – self awareness.
Religious Education has great potential for
considering if her
contributing in a very real way to community
To help in their task of supporting effective
friend is still the
cohesion. Lancashire SACRE recognises this
learning through RE, Lancashire SACRE has
same person when
potential and has developed a syllabus over
turned to two partner groups, local faith
she dons a
recent years that makes a fundamental
members and young people. The SACRE has
bourkha...
contribution to the development of skills and
twelve Christian, five Muslim, two Hindu, a Sikh,
attitudes that encourage children to consider
Jewish and Buddhist representatives. We are
engaging with others in an open minded and
also pleased to have regular Bahai and Pagan observers attend
empathetic manner. The Lancashire Agreed Syllabus for RE (2006)
[and contribute] and have welcomed input from local Humanists.
is based on a ‘Field of Enquiry’ model of learning. This model not
This has proved to be a rich source of support when schools seek
only transforms learning, but also the way teachers see their
to understand the 'Living Religious Tradition' and ' Beliefs and
relationships with their pupils and, most importantly, the
Values' elements of the Field of Enquiry. SACRE RE network
children’s perceptions of themselves as they learn about who they
groups meet at places of worship, SACRE members come to
are through trying to understand others. Whether it is a
meetings, visits are arranged to schools and for schools to receive
fourteen-year-old considering if her friend is still the same person
members of faith groups.
when she dons a bourkha or the challenging adolescent who has
a moment of self awareness as they change position in a human
bar graph while considering euthanasia.This model of RE can truly
have the Heineken effect – reaching the parts that other areas of
the curriculum miss (or rarely touch)!
The thinking behind the current Lancashire Syllabus was
developed in the 1960s to make RE comprehensible and
relevant to student’s lives. This approach still remains
at the heart of the syllabus with the key question
‘What does it mean to be human?’ at its centre.
All RE planning must balance the four areas of a
Field of Enquiry’
l Beliefs and Values
l Living Religious Tradition
l Shared Human Experience
l Search for Personal Meaning
7
Religious education• Helen Harrison
Lancashire
Lancashire is blessed with many faith and inter faith groups.
Building Bridges Burnley and Pendle have both
worked with the SACRE on a regular basis. The
Preston, Lancashire and North West Forum of
Learning from
Faiths have all made effective links with SACRE.
religion is as
The Lancashire Forum of Faiths has developed a
team of faith visitors to go into schools or important as learning
receive school groups. Representatives from the about religion in this
SACRE have given training to members of this
model.
group to enable them to support learning more
effectively through understanding the syllabus
and active learning techniques.
From the partnership with local faith groups the idea of a web
site to support both schools and faith groups was born.
Lancashire SACRE has created a web site for local schools that
has received national recognition [www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/re]
and has now decided to develop a dedicated area that would
support the linking of schools and faith groups. The Diversity,
Inclusion, Faith and Achievement [DIFA] site will go live in the
Summer term. Local faith groups and individuals have been asked
to send contact details that will support teachers' planning for
visits and visitors to address the living religious tradition and
beliefs and values the syllabus requires. The site also provides
national and local links and materials to help both groups make
these invaluable opportunities for learning to be as rich as
possible.
How else does the SACRE respond to the pupils’ request for
authentic engagement? Our second Youth Conference in 2006
suggested that a youth group be established for Lancashire to
advise the SACRE about effective and engaging RE. The pilot
Lancashire Youth SACRE was established in the east of the
County and achieved through partnership with the Burnley and
Pendle Faith Centre. Students from 9 local High schools in the
Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn and Rossendale area gathered
together to explore diversity of faith through/and active learning
ideas. They worked with Gujarati Hindus, New Kadampa
Buddhists, Evangelical Christians and Sufi Muslim as well as pupils
with behavioural difficulties to create a conference for pupils with
profound learning needs. ' Special Hopes for the Future - Learning
about myself through learning from others’ gave young people the
opportunity to identify and ask key questions of each other and
the faith communities. There was a strong multi sensory element
to the encounters, outcomes being expressed in various ways
including dance and drama. Phase two of the Lancashire Youth
SACRE was established in the Preston and Fylde region of
Lancashire – they have already met at a Hindu Temple, Buddhist
centre and a Gurdwara. One participant commented after
encountering Hindu puja at a meeting, “I've just seen the great
beauty and bringing together of religion, would my life be
different if I actually continued being a 'proper' Muslim like I was
at an early age?”.
8
is a diverse and fascinating County. The Local
Authority support for its SACRE is well known.
Religious Education has a vital role to play in the
education of our young people of all ages and
offers the potential for better understanding of
ourselves and each other. However, this can only
be truly effective through partnerships and
engagement with real living religious communities
and the beliefs at their heart.
Helen Harrison is Lancashire's Consultant for
RE and Officer to Lancashire SACRE
Upon my bedroom mirror, two photographs are stuck.
In Amnesty’s “Women’s Campaign” picture,
A solitary Rwandan woman, desolate but erect,
Surveys with dignity the devastation around her,
The destruction of her people a wilderness of suffering,
Yet not the annihilation of her hope?
In the second picture, cut from some newspaper,
Young Zairian boys regard me, serious,
Lined up for training…training to fight. So young!
Woman, boys, you are my sister, my little brothers:
In this mirror, I find you, and all at once
I find myself. Knit from the same flesh, we are one.
What difference can there be? Face to face, heart to heart,
We suffer, and in our suffering, are united. I greet you!
© Sr.Katharine Holstrom
from Take This Day 2005
Pub. Limited Editions, Peterborough
Sean Rose and Pritpal Kaur • youth initiative
Faiths Act - Globally
N
adeem Javaid is a young Muslim man from East
London. His passion for fighting global poverty is
rooted in his faith, which is a great inspiration to
him in working to help the poor, and empowering his own
community to be more engaged. He lovingly refers to the
Quran, and explains how it is infused with the idea that
service to other people is service to God.
Avi Smolen is a young Jewish man from New Jersey, USA.
His passion for fighting global poverty also stems from his
faith. He stands on a stage in front of an audience in
Washington D.C. and explains how ‘tikkun olam’, the Hebrew
notion of ‘repairing the world’, is his inspiration for fighting
injustice.
And there are twenty-eight more. All young people from
cities across the UK, USA and Canada. All deeply inspired by
their various faith traditions. All passionate about fighting the
injustice of global poverty. And – crucially – all willing to
work together.
The concept which brings us together is the Faiths Act
Fellowship: the social action programme of the Tony Blair
Faith Foundation, which is delivered in collaboration with the
Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core. Last Summer all thirty
Fellows learnt from and about each other in a training
programme which spanned seven weeks and three
continents, including time in various African countries. Our
task after training? To work in interfaith pairs in cities across
the UK, USA and Canada to mobilise a grassroots youthbased movement against poverty.
Young Voices
Putting Faith into Action:Faiths Act
Faiths Act - Locally
W
e, (Pritpal Kaur, a Sikh from Leeds, and Sean
Rose, a Catholic from London), are two Faiths
Act Fellows based at the Nishkam Centre in
Handsworth, Birmingham. The Centre acts as a host
organisation and a base for our community work.
Sean Rose: “...I have always felt a strong call to justice. As a
Catholic I am inspired by the Gospel message of spiritual and
material liberation. When I think about the people whom Jesus
ate with, talked to and stayed with, it seems clear that the people
He was serving were primarily those excluded from society in
some way. His concern was with the last, the least, and the lost.
He preached His revolutionary message of freedom to those
whom the world had shunned, who were excluded because of
disease or family history, and who had few material possessions.
This is a powerful example to me as a Christian of the way I
should try to live in the world, and the attitude I should have
towards serving others.
Sometimes people ask me whether I have a ‘head’ faith or a
‘heart’ faith: whether my belief stems from my reasoned
understanding or experiential emotion. I prefer to say that mine
is a faith understood through doing; through serving others and
acting in the world. I have a ‘hands’ faith.”
Pritpal Kaur: “...The teaching in the Sikh faith of ‘Sarbat Da
Bhalla’ or the welfare of all, is what motivates my work. Saving
lives through multi-faith action was exemplified by Bhai Kanhaiya
Ji, a Sikh water carrier who served water on the battlefield in
1704. He served both the Sikh and enemy soldiers without
differentiation, because he saw God’s spirit in everyone.
Compassion is the bedrock of faith, and Bhai Kanhaiya Ji’s
exercising of compassion in the spirit of Sarbat Da Bhalla is an
inspiration to all who embark upon humanitarian work.”
Faith Act Fellows training in London: photo James Perrin
9
youth initiative • Sean Rose and Pritpal Kaur
Young Voices
Global Poverty - Why Malaria? his year the Faiths Act Fellows have been working to
raise awareness and resources in the fight against
malaria. The disease is still one of the largest killers in
sub-Saharan Africa and remains a major problem in South
Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. There are over 300
million cases per year, up to 1 million of which lead to death.
Approximately 85% percent of all deaths are children under
the age of five – which is one child every 30 seconds.
Malaria costs Africa at least £8 billion annually through lost
productivity alone, and over 40% of all health expenditure
across the continent goes on treating the disease. But the
real scandal is that malaria is a completely preventable and
treatable disease. Interventions are simple and inexpensive –
but hugely effective. Sleeping under a bednet can protect a
whole family from malaria, since the mosquitoes carrying the
disease are most active between dusk and dawn. Malaria is
also entirely treatable if given appropriate and timely medical
care.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were agreed
by the United Nations in 2000 to give a clear framework for
halving extreme global poverty, with clear targets and
deadlines set for 2015. In 2010, with less than five years
remaining, the international community is falling woefully
short on meeting its obligations and none of the Goals are
on track to be achieved. Faiths Act identified malaria as an
immediate priority because we as a global community already
have the knowledge, skills and resources to tackle the disease
– which places upon humanity a great moral impetus to act.
Tackling malaria has huge knock-on effects on achieving other
goals, including maternal health, child mortality, and
education.
There are over four billion people of faith in the world
today, and Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) and
congregations have an unmatchable record of
credibility, geographical reach, and
sustainability. FBOs already provide an
estimated 40% of all health services in
sub-Saharan Africa, with figures almost
Bednet in use: M.Hallahan,
Sumitomo Chemical
10
double that (75%) in countries which have experienced
extreme instability and economic collapse. Faith-Based
Organisations are critical players in the fight against malaria,
thanks to their ability to educate people in their communities
about the causes and risks of the disease, and to inspire them
to change their behaviour and protect themselves.
We have been raising awareness and funds in Birmingham
for this global fight against malaria. Our chosen charity is
Malaria No More UK, which fights deaths from malaria across
sub-Saharan Africa by providing mosquito nets, effective
medicines, and targeted spraying. Malaria No More UK
partners with organisations in Africa such as Nets for Life and
the Center for Interfaith Action who actively involve people
of faith in their programmes of prevention and treatment.
Our work has engaged a broad spectrum of Birmingham’s
diverse faith communities, schools, colleges, University faith
societies, and congregations. The photos and blogs on our
website www.FaithsActFellows.org/Birmingham paint a
vibrant picture of our community-based approach. Any funds
raised before the end of May 2010 will be doubled by the Rt.
Hon. Tony Blair, former UK Prime Minister and Patron and
Founder of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation.
As well as donating at www.justgiving.com/FaithsAct the
call is for all people of faith and goodwill to take initiative and
act on their values. Whether you live in Birmingham or one
of the other cities in which Faiths Act Hubs are taking root,
everyone can play their part in putting values into action.
Together we can prove to the world that faith is a force for
good. Together we can show that Faiths Act.
For further information on Faiths Act, please see
www.FaithsActFellows.org/Birmingham or get in touch with
us:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Sacred Script •Faith and leadership
pierces the clouds...
Sirach 35:17 (Apocrypha) The Holy Bible
Faith and Leadership
The prayer of the humble
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Faith and Leadership
Faith and leadership • Barney Leith
Nurturing a
spiritual transformation
When a friend introduces me as ‘a Bahá’í leader’ – or,
worse, as ‘the Bahá’í leader’ – I feel compelled to correct
what I take to be a misunderstanding about the nature of
leadership in the Bahá’í community. I’m sometimes even
tempted to say that the Bahá’í community has no leaders.
Actually, that is not true.The Bahá’í community has leaders
– elected and appointed – but they don’t function in the way
that people normally understand religious leadership to
function. In fact, if you were to attend a Bahá’í gathering, you
might be hard put to identify the leaders. There are no
special clothes, no sermons, no ritual, none of the things that
often mark out religious leaders.
Nurturing & enabling
Perhaps the key to understanding about the Bahá’í
approach is the realisation that those who serve in
leadership roles are there to nurture, encourage and bring
forth the capacity of individuals, families and communities in
service to humanity.
Leadership in the Bahá’í community is not about power.
Or to be more accurate, it is not about ‘power over’ - not
about the power to make other people do what the leader
wants them to do. It is, rather, about releasing the power in
individuals and communities to accomplish things.
Paul Lample, a member of the Universal House of Justice
– the Bahá’í community’s elected global authority – explains
that the purpose of the Bahá’í administration:
‘…is not to restrict but to release, harmonize and canalize the
creative powers of individuals to achieve focused, collective action.
A positive expression of power is evident, therefore, in Bahá’í
social relations…. In this perspective, the locus of power lies with
the individual, while authority lies with the Assemblies.’ i
Vision
Leadership, if it is not to be a means of indulging a desire
for power or prominence, has to be for a purpose. In the
case of the Bahá’í community the purpose is systematically
to bring a vision to reality in a way that makes use of
everyone’s talents and capacities.
The vision is set out in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the
Founder of the Bahá’í Faith.
‘All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing
civilization.’ ii
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‘Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one
spread out in its stead.’ iii
‘Know thou of a truth, these great oppressions that have
befallen the world are preparing it for the advent of the Most
Great Justice.’ iv
The vision is of a united world, underpinned by faith and
justice, in which there is a fundamental change of
consciousness that leads us to understand
‘…that the time has come when each human being on
earth must learn to accept responsibility for the welfare of
the entire human family.’ v
The role of leadership – as exercised by the Bahá’í
institutions – is to help individuals, families, communities
learn how to make this vision a practical reality by taking
small and sustained steps in their own homes and in their
neighbourhoods.
This is surely a matter of faith. There are setbacks, there
are mistakes - there is much to be learned! The institutions
and individuals with leadership roles in the Bahá’í community
are there to encourage, to plan, to coordinate, to gather and
evaluate data, and to share the lessons learned from putting
principles into practice.
As Paul Lample explains:
‘Bahá’í practice, then, is concerned with translating the
teachings of Bahá’u’lláh into action for individual and
collective transformation within the framework of
authoritative guidance. The goal is the establishment of a
social order of unity, justice and peace, the Kingdom of God
on earth.’ vi
‘Understanding reality and transforming social reality in
accordance with the will of God requires unity of thought
and action. This unity of thought and action is not a
uniformity that delimits or homogenizes the full range of
human diversity. It respects the inherent differences of
thought and opinion.’ vii
Accompaniment – key to a new culture
An important element in the processes that constitute the
Bahá’í community-building path and in the Bahá’í approach
to leadership is epitomised by the word ‘accompaniment’.
To give just one example of how this works, Bahá’ís the
world over get together in small groups to study the Bahá’í
Barney Leith • Faith and leadership
There is no elite corps of ‘accompaniers’; everyone in the
community is encouraged to accompany others. Indeed
every Bahá'í (and those collaborating with the Bahá’ís) –
whether serving in a formal leadership capacity or not – is
challenged to adopt a humble posture of learning in relation
to every area of work, be it community building, social action
or contributing to the discourses of society
What is happening here is the development, in the words
of the Universal House of Justice, of:
‘a culture which promotes a way of thinking, studying and
acting, in which all consider themselves as treading a common
path of service – supporting one another and advancing together,
respectful of the knowledge that each one possesses at any given
moment…’ viii
The practice of accompaniment might be considered a
form of leadership, but it is a long way from traditional
conceptions of ‘leading from the back’ or ‘leading from the
front’. There’s no bureaucracy or charismatic individual to
push or pull people into certain areas of action.
Leadership and young people
This approach of leadership by accompaniment is proving
to be particularly effective in the work Bahá’ís around the
world are doing with the 11 to 14 year old age group, helping
them to form a strong moral identity and empowering them
to contribute to the well-being of their communities.
In its most recent letter to the Bahá’í community the
Universal House of Justice contrasts the widely held image
of the 11 to 14 year old age group (‘junior youth’) as
‘problematic, lost in the throes of tumultuous physical and
emotional change, unresponsive and self-consumed’ with the
experience of the Bahá’ís, who find in these young people ‘…
altruism, an acute sense of justice, eagerness to learn about
the universe and a desire to contribute to the construction
of a better world.’ ix
This is not to deny the challenges involved in working with
groups of young teens, but older Bahá’í youth are providing
leadership in this work as animators of groups of junior
youth in a programme that helps the younger ones sharpen
their spiritual perception, that enhances their powers of
expression and reinforces moral structures that will serve
them throughout their lives.
‘At an age when burgeoning intellectual, spiritual and physical
powers become accessible to them, they [the junior youth] are
being given the tools needed to combat the forces that would rob
them of their true identity as noble beings and to work for the
common good.’ x
Leadership in a new key
A new kind of leadership is essential if we are to overcome
the passivity and lethargy that is all too prevalent in a society
that is busy ‘cultivating generations willing to be led by
whoever proves skilful at appealing to superficial emotions’.
xi
Attempts to harness human energy through greed,
domination, guilt and manipulation are signs of spiritual
bankruptcy.The new pattern of leadership, rooted in spiritual
transformation, integrity, and accompaniment, fosters a
culture in which learning is the mode of operation and
informed participation by growing numbers of people in
building a new civilisation is the standard by which we live.
Faith and Leadership
sacred texts and to develop skills that will enable them to
undertake acts of service to their fellow human beings. A
crucial element of these study groups is the tutor. The tutor
is not someone who knows all the answers, but assists the
other members of the group to become active agents of
their own learning. The tutor also accompanies group
members as they set out on the path of service, going with
them as they visit people in their homes or working with
them to conduct moral and spiritual education classes for
children and young people.
Barney Leith is Director, Office of Public Information,
Bahá’í community of the UK
i Paul Lample, Revelation and Social Reality: Learning to Translate
What is Written into Reality, West Palm Beach, FL.: Palabra
Publications, 2009, p. 214.
ii Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh,
Wilmette, IL.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1983, section XXVII.
iii ibid., section IV.
iv Bahá’u’lláh, cited by Shoghi Effendi in The Promised Day is
Come, Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1961, p. 4.
v Universal House of Justice, Turning Point: Selected Messages of
the Universal House of Justice 1995–2006, West Palm Beach,
FL.: Palabra Publications, 2006, p. 164.
vi Lample, Revelation and Social Reality, p. 47.
vii Lample, Revelation and Social Reality, p. 24.
viii From a message of the Universal House of Justice to the
Bahá’ís of the World, Ridván 2010.
ix From a message of the Universal House of Justice to the
Bahá’ís of the World, Ridván 2010.
x ibid.
xi ibid.
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Faith and Leadership
Faith and leadership • Shiban Akbar
Women and Leadership in Islam
‘Fitrah’ has a special
place in Islamic theology.
The Noble Qur’an says:
“This is the natural
disposition
God
instilled in mankind . .
.” (30:30).
One of the ways in
which ‘fitrah’ could be
understood is that
human beings respond
to their predisposed
inclinations or innate nature framed by God. If any woman
has leadership skills she will, given the right circumstance,
bring forth her potential and find a relevant role for her.Why
should Islam - the prescribed natural path of life be an
impediment to women’s achievement?
The Lord answers them, saying: I will deny no man
or woman among you the reward of their labours.
Each is like the other. (The Qur’an, 3:195)
The language and content of Divine discourse in ‘The
Qur’an’ are shaped to address women as subjects rather than
as objects. As per the ‘Shariah’ or Islamic Law a woman has
the Right to Keep Her Own Identity. She has no obligation
to take her husband’s surname but keep her maiden name
after marriage if she so chooses. She has the Right to
Independent Ownership; the right of Participation in Public
Affairs and The Right of Election and Nomination to Political
Offices.
The Qur’an employs the term ‘Khilafah’ to mean every
human being is created as a vice-regent or a trustee to
inherit the earth and fulfil duties and obligations befitting the
role. Allah is the Sovereign of the universe and in relation to
Divine sovereignty human beings are trustees. Nowhere in
The Qur’an is stated that only men were given this sacred
trust. As trustees women, like men, are bestowed with the
basic humanity and spirituality in equal measure and also
have the same right to earthly privileges bestowed on
humanity. It follows thus that women are free to pursue their
goals and lead progress and development.
To whomever, male or female, does good deeds
and has faith, We shall give a good life and reward
them according to the best of their actions. (The
Qur’an, 16:97)
To talk of women leading progress and development, we
inevitably think of gender segregation prescribed in Islam.
Yes, gender segregation is there and for a good reason. It is
there to protect innocence, avoid temptations, and as a
safeguard from personal abuse. But gender segregation does
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not apply in public places and it does not apply in protected
environment. And in a professional context these days, with
the human resources policies and procedures firmly in place
there are safeguard measures in existence, e.g., against sexual
harassment.
The Noble Qur’an has dedicated an entire chapter to Mary
mother of Jesus entitled ‘Maryam’ the Arabic name for Mary,
proclaiming her most revered status.
‘The angels said to Maryam: "Maryam, Allah has
chosen you and made you pure: He has truly chosen
you above all women...Allah gives you news of a Word
from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son
of Maryam, who will be held in honour in this world
and the next, who will be one of those brought near to
Allah...” (The Qur’an, 3:42 and 3:45-47)
`Sayee’, the second ritual of Hajj or Pilgrimage to Makkah
is a tribute to motherhood - a tribute accorded by none
other than our Creator. When Muslim pilgrims walk
between the small hills of ‘Safa’ and ‘Marwa’ in Makkah we
honour Lady Hajera ra [Hagar], the younger of the two
wives of Prophet Ibrahim [Abraham] pbuh. We
commemorate her struggle, when all alone in a barren and
hostile desert she ran between the two hills in search of
water for her infant son Ismail [Ishmael] who was wailing
from being parched and dehydrated. The ritual serves as a
constant reminder of the esteemed status of women. Isn’t it
unfortunate therefore when the society fails to put into
practice the symbolism of the ritual in everyday life?
Through my study, I have no doubt in my mind, that my
beloved Prophet pbuh was the precursor of actual feminism
in the history of the world, if we take feminism to mean
equitable rights, wholesome emancipation and respect for
women. There are many examples about the activities of
Muslim women from the early Islamic period (circa 1431
years ago) that show that women were active in welfare
activities and in the public and intellectual life of the society
alongside men. Women openly debated with the Noble
Prophet pbuh and women publicly disagreed and corrected
one of the Caliphs of Islam.The Prophet taught women along
with the men, and instructed men to educate not only the
women of their household but also their slave girls and free
them - it was a custom in those days to have slaves from
either sexes. Women took part in the political affairs and in
the selection of Caliphs which was both a huge honour and
a huge responsibility. How ironic it is then that at the present
time Muslim women in UK do not even have easy access to,
or a stake in, the running of the majority of their local
Mosques!
Shiban Akbar • Faith and leadership
Lady Khadija ra the first wife of the Noble Prophet pbuh
has an honourable place in Islamic history. Influential in her
own right she was the very first person to accept Islam and
thus certify the Prophethood of Muhammad pbuh. In the
Muslim psyche it was a tremendous honour for Lady Khadija
to be thus chosen by God! Twice widowed before her
marriage to the Noble Prophet, Lady Khadija led an
independent life. She was a successful and smart
businesswoman. She traded her caravan of goods to Yemen
and Syria; she headhunted the best and the most dependable
salesmen and managers. And that is how the Noble Prophet
who was later to become her husband came to be
employed. As his wife (and fifteen years his senior), she was
his confidante and counsel who dedicated her life and her
wealth to the cause of Islam and in support of her husband’s
mission as the Messenger of God.
Their daughter Fatimah ra is known as `Khatoon-e-Jannah’
the ‘First Lady of Paradise’ or the ‘Head of the women of
Paradise’. When her mother died and her father (the Noble
Prophet) was left without his beloved wife of twenty-five
years it was Lady Fatimah who provided the support and
comfort to her Prophet-father and accompanied him in the
early years of his eventful mission on some important
journeys. He has said of his beloved daughter: “Fatima is a
part of me” and whenever he saw her approaching, he would
stand up and accord her a very warm and affectionate
greeting and sit her down next to him. Indeed, he cherished
all his four daughters. Herein is a lesson for Muslim fathers.
In a short-lived life of 29 years Lady Fatimah alongside
being a wife and mother to prominent Islamic personalities
and public figures contributed to the development of the
growing Muslim community of Madinah and coordinated
welfare activities. She acted as a custodian to the poor and
destitute; she took women to perform humanitarian duties
in the battlefield which included preparing food during a long
and difficult siege of Muslims.
Later the Prophet remarried and his wife Lady Ayesha ra
was known to be a feisty woman. Under the tutelage of the
Prophet she blossomed into a renowned scholar and after
his death used to be consulted by the ‘Sahabas’/ Patriarchs in
the Muslim community. To this day she is regarded as a great
authority on Islamic jurisprudence. The Noble Prophet’s
wives have the honourable title of ‘Umm-al-Momeneen’ or
‘Mother of the Believers’.
Lady Zaynab ra is called the ‘Heroine of Karbala’. Her
parents were Lady Fatimah and the last Caliph of Islam Ali ra.
Had it not been for her, the martyrdom in Karbala of the
Noble Prophet’s family that included her own brother
(Prophet’s grandson) and her two sons, other family
members, including infants and companions, would have gone
unrecorded in history. For me her outstanding heroism and
dignity in the midst of tragedy and uncertainty, and in the
face of extreme physical hardship and emotional torture; and
her defiance coupled with restraint in the presence of her
captors are instances of leadership and courage second to
none. She and fellow Muslim women and children were
taken captives and made to march to Damascus from
Karbala (now in Iraq). The two speeches she delivered in the
presence of the two ruthless assassins Ibn Ziyad in Kufa and
Yazid in Damascus stand tall for their eloquence, wisdom,
fearlessness, moral strength and humanity. It was her
persuasive speech that saved the life of her young nephew.
She was also an inspiring teacher in the exegesis of The
Qur'an and used to address regular gatherings of women first
in Madinah and later in Damascus.
Rabia Basri ra was an 8th century female mystic born in
Basra, Iraq. She was an enlightened teacher and in the
hierarchy of Sufi Saints of Islam was one of the most notable.
She occupies an equality of rank with men among the Saints
or ‘Friends of God’ [Auwliya]. She was both revered and
envied by her fellow male Saints for her formidable
personality, gnosis, scholarship and philosophy. She
introduced the doctrine of Divine Love in Sufism stating that
we should love God for God’s sake alone and not for fear of
hell fire or for a desire for paradise.
Faith and Leadership
Responding to the demands and challenges of their time
the women in Prophet’s household demonstrated multitasking skills and played active public roles. Some examples
are cited here;
These elements in Islamic history and tradition should
suffice to reinforce the leadership roles and equality in rank
sanctioned to women.
I would like to pay my personal tribute to my Mother who
made sure that I knew my place in the world. In many Muslim
communities women are being denied the basic human
dignity; the right to education, the right to develop their
potential or the right to work.
The decline in status of Muslim women is a reflection of
the tragic state our society has stooped to. The cultural
baggage is really breaking our collective shoulder, and having
an adverse effect on our society as a whole including the
problems we face with the youth today. Men should properly
regard their sisters in humanity and treat them as their
equals and challenge the weak men who hold them back.
Also, the factors of war, the lack of a proper infrastructure
and poverty in Muslim countries at the present time, mete
out a raw deal to the womenfolk.
If we disregard women who constitute one half of the
Muslim ‘Ummah’ (community) we cannot expect things to
run a smooth course, and natural justice surely will come
back to haunt us! Since there are no theoretical barriers we
must overcome the externally imposed barriers and move
forward.
Article based on an Address given by Shiban at the
launch of MINAB (Mosques and Imams National
Advisory Board) 10th May 2009
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Faith and Leadership
Faith and leadership • Maureen Sier
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
P
erhaps more than in any other field the leaders of faith
communities are expected to lead by example. In the
Bahá'í community the leadership of Abdu'l-Bahá (son
of the founding prophet Bahá'u'lláh) is considered the
perfect example of how to lead. There are hundreds of
stories of his exemplary life and leadership and little space
to share them here but in the words of a Christian Minister,
Reverend Howard Colby Ives, Abdu'l-Bahá lead not with
pomp and ceremony but with humility and love:
There was never an assumption of authority, rather he was
ever the personification of humility….. Abdu'l-Bahá made truth
and love so beautiful and royal that the heart perforce did
reverence. He showed by his voice, manner, bearing, smile,
how I should be.
In April 2002 the supreme governing body of the Bahá'í
community, the Universal House of Justice, penned a letter
directed at the world’s religious leaders, in it they suggest
that: ‘the scriptures of all religions have always taught the
believer to see in service to others not only a moral duty,
but an avenue for the soul's own approach to God’.
Leadership may well be as much about our way of being
and our attitude to others as it is about doing, although
having said that, Abdu'l-Bahá’s life was a life of total
dedication to others and of service to humanity. Indeed on
27 April 1920, he was awarded a knighthood (KBE) by the
British Mandate of Palestine for his humanitarian efforts
during the 1st World War. Abdu'l-Bahá cared deeply for the
poor and oppressed and was loved by all who came in
contact with him.
One of the great needs of 21st Century global society is
the need for harmony and understanding between the great
world religions. Perhaps it is in this arena more than any that
the leaders of faith communities can make a huge impact. By
leaders from all faith communities engaging with each other
in friendship and fellowship they give a strong moral message
to all their followers to do likewise. This in itself has the
potential to help bring peace to our world. This will require
religious leaders to work:
This type of leadership requires a deep commitment to
moral leadership. The Bahá'í International Community has
suggested that such moral leadership will need to become
the leadership of the future, not just for clerics and leaders
but for all citizens, if a real transformation in human society
is to take place:
‘conscientiously and untiringly to exorcise religious bigotry
and superstition from within their faith traditions. It will
necessitate that they embrace freedom of conscience for all
people, including their own followers, and renounce claims to
religious exclusivity and finality. Until the religions of the world
renounce fanaticism and work whole-heartedly to eliminate it
from within their own ranks, peace and prosperity will prove
chimerical. Indeed, the responsibility for the plight of humanity
rests, in large part, with the world's religious leaders. It is they
who must raise their voices to end the hatred, exclusivity,
oppression of conscience, violations of human rights, denial of
equality, opposition to science, and glorification of materialism,
violence and terrorism, which are perpetrated in the name of
religious truth. Moreover, it is the followers of all religions who
must transform their own lives and take up the mantle of
sacrifice for and service to the well-being of others, and thus
contribute to the realization of the long-promised reign of
peace and justice on earth.
(from a statement to the World Summit on Sustainable Development by
Moral leadership, the leadership of the future, will find its
highest expression in service to others and to the community as
a whole. It will foster collective decision-making and collective
action and will be motivated by a commitment to justice,
including the equality of women and men, and to the wellbeing of all humanity. Moral leadership will manifest itself in
adherence to a single standard of conduct in both public and
private life, for leaders and for citizens alike.
(Bahá'í International Community, 1998 Feb 18, Valuing Spirituality in
Development)
The Bahá'í community is a religious community without
clergy. It is a religion with an emphasis on group leadership,
as opposed to individual power. The Bahá'í administrative
system, has two branches: one composed of councils elected
to govern; the other composed of individuals appointed to
inspire and advise. In both of these systems the qualities
looked for are the bedrock of moral leadership including
loyalty, devotion, a well-trained mind, recognized ability,
mature experience and a desire to serve humanity.
However the nature of Bahá'í community life requires that
all Bahá'ís try to become moral leaders and this is not always
easy:
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The vast majority of the Bahá'ís in the world today, are the
first in their families to become Bahá'ís and the values and
habits they have been brought up with are not necessarily easy
to shake. But by becoming Bahá'ís they commit themselves to
a process of individual and social transformation, based on the
fundamental reality of this age: the oneness of humanity’
(Baha'i International Community, 1995 Aug 26, Status of
Women in Bahá'í Community).
the Bahá’í International Community, Johannesburg, South Africa,
August 26, 2002).
It is our wish and desire that every one of you may become
a source of all goodness unto men, and an example of
uprightness to mankind. Beware lest ye prefer yourselves above
your neighbors. ……. We love to see you at all times consorting
in amity and concord …….and to inhale from your acts the
fragrance of friendliness and unity, of loving-kindness and
fellowship. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah,
p. 315)
Sarah Sheriff • cultural insight
Beauty
Something of
A
pproximately six or so years ago, my colleague and I took
two groups of ESOL students (English for Speakers of
Other Languages) to the Victoria & Albert Museum.
As we stood in front of the V&A's imposing pediment which
lists all the countries from which artefacts in the museum were
brought - many of them the countries from which our students
had come - we lamented that so many British people fail to realise
that the rich fabric that is British culture and values - of which we
are so defensive - is in fact woven from warp and weft that is in
large part foreign, and significantly Eastern/Islamic.
This fact was brought home powerfully more
recently, by Radio 4's programme: Morris and the
Muslims produced by the documentary maker
Navid Akhtar. The programme explored how that
quintessentially English Victorian artist, poet,
interior designer and master craftsman, William
Morris, whose patterns on wallpapers, textiles and
other furnishings came to be regarded as
intrinsically English, was in fact inspired by Turkish ceramics and
Persian carpets. The programme showed how his work helped
to create a new Movement in British design that was 'inextricably
linked' to Islamic Art.
The context of Morris's emergence on the art and political
scene, conveyed through the programme, is important to
understand - Morris had despaired of the problems caused by
mass production at the height of the industrial revolution and had
been searching for alternatives. He was open to looking beyond
these shores for inspiration, and found it in the Muslim world - in
how it had succeeded in preserving the artistry of the craftsman:
drawing on a veneration of nature and the sacred as the principle
subject of its art. Contributors to the radio programme made it
clear that though no precise causal links are to be found
suggesting Morris understood the religious significance of the
patterns in Islamic art, it was evident that he was inspired by the
ascetic beauty of these Islamic patterns. It is also apparent that he
wanted to spread, and encourage amongst his fellow Britons, an
appreciation for natural beauty and a valuation of the skills of the
craftsman who could produce such work. It was in no small part
due to him that there was a revival of the craft guilds in Britain.
The success of his innovation and the extent to which it was
taken to heart by Victorian Britain is to be seen everywhere: ironwork in Victoria station; on bridges crossing the River Thames;
tile-work in some of our underground stations; the
British enduring love of repeating floral patterns on interior
furnishings. Islamic-inspired British design culture is totally
embedded in Britain. The V&A itself, I was to learn, was created
specifically by the Victorians to bring to the great artistically
ignorant British, the splendours and refinement of the East in
general and the Islamic world in particular.
The resonances between Islamic culture and William Morris’
life, inspirations and concerns, as an artist and a citizen,
were highlighted at many levels by Navid Akhtar who spoke with
people such as Hasan Mohammed Ali of the Arts Council,
currently researching a book on William Morris to
be titled: 'Crossing the River of Fire'. Seemingly
Morris hated rampant consumption, an indulgence
warned against in the Qur'an, and sought to find
balance in life. He did not believe in 'art for art's
sake’, but echoed Islamic cultural teachings when he
said ''Have nothing in your houses that you do not
know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”. This is
not to say that he viewed the process of producing
a art or craft a secular act - indeed, he believed that cultivating
something artistic was an act of purification for the soul, again
echoing an ingrained Islamic principle embodied in a saying from
the Qur’an: ‘God is beautiful and loves beauty’. Morris agonised
over how he could produce objects that were affordable as well
as beautiful because he believed that it was everybody's birthright
to own something of beauty. When he found this was not
possible, it brought him into the arena of the politics of art and
from there into radicalised politics. Akhtar also spoke with artist
Tasleema Alam, whose work is featured in issue 22 of this
magazine, on how a new young generation of Muslim artists are
rediscovering and fusing Islamic art and design principles
mediated by William Morris.
Certainly Morris would have approved of the multi-culturalism
of contemporary Britain and would have had little sympathy, I feel,
for the 'Little-Englander' mentality that I find dangerously
prevalent in parts of the country today.
With grateful acknowledgement to the work of Navid
Akhtar who produced and narrated the Radio 4 programme
Morris and the Muslims broadcast July 2009 Navid Akhtar is
Exec.Dir. of Gazelle Media
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Pilgrimage • Simon Kenny
The Kawagoe Matsuri:
HONOURING THE KAMI
K
awagoe is a large, provincial town that nestles on the Kanto
plain, about 50 km north of Tokyo in Saitama prefecture. It
has been described as ‘little Edo’, or small Tokyo. During the
Edo period, there was a lot of trade running though the town as
merchants travelled from Tokyo and into the mountains of the
north, and Kawagoe was therefore heavily influenced by the
culture of its larger neighbour. The Kawagoe festival (matsuri)
uses many of the same rites and rituals of the major Tokyo
festivals, but it has woven them into a
distinctive style that incorporates the local
folklore and regional legends of Saitama.
At the local level, festivals serve to bridge the gap between past
traditions and the busy life of modern Japanese workers. They
help to keep people in touch with their culture, and to participate
in rituals and rites of passage that incorporate many important
themes such as the veneration of the gods, the purification of
mind and body, and the promotion of harmony amongst all
people.
Japan is a country that is well known for combining the ancient
with the modern. Old style houses and temples are often to be
seen at the side of large concrete buildings and skyscrapers. Cities
will usually have shrines located next to shopping arcades, and
within major metropolitan hubs that buzz with gadgets, flashing
TV screens and the rush of blurred bodies. This interaction of the
old with the new is at the heart of life in modern Japan.
The festival is always lively and upbeat though, rather than
somber. On the day of the festival, the mikoshi will be housed in
the dashi.These dashi towers are up to seven metres high, and are
decorated with colourful decorations of symbols such as spears,
ocean waves, and mountains, as well as depictions of various
animals and human beings. Each district will have its own dashi
tower, and the pictures that adorn it will often celebrate a famous
local legend or folk tale.
The day of the festival is a special day, as it is the day when the
kami are believed to descend from the
heavens, and enter the sacred shrine
(mikoshi). The mikoshi at this time is alive
festivals serve to
with the power and energy of the spirits. It is
As one of the most famous festivals in
bridge the gap
a sacred vessel that contains the kami. As
Japan, the Kawagoe matsuri brings many
invisible
spirits they do not have any
people together from all over the Kanto
between past
corporeal form, and are not worshipped
area. During the matsuri ancient religious
traditions and the
through religious images or on any altars. The
rites are re-enacted, and integrated with
Japanese view of the kami is that they are all
modern style festival celebrations for the
busy life of modern
around us, within nature. They are of nature,
autumn harvest. The atmosphere is always
and exist as part of it in the rivers, mountains
vibrant, and the excitement feverish as
Japanese workers
and sky. The mountain or river is the kami,
people see the tall dashi towers
and all nature contains spiritual vibrations
approaching them as they are pulled down
that can manifest as kami. The day when they
the streets. These dashi towers contain the
kami (gods of nature), to behold them and celebrate their passage reveal themselves within the shrine is then a blessing for the
through the streets is believed to bring good fortune to all the town, and a time to honour them and reinforce the need for
human recognition and remembrance of the gods.
people of the town.
18
Simon Kenny • Pilgrimage
Each year the dashi are preserved and reused for the next
festival, with a little rebuilding if necessary. The musicians and
dancers will practice all year in preparation for performing on the
dashi float in the autumn festivals. The musical performances, and
the acts of singing and responding to other dashi are highly
ritualised, and acted out in accordance with distinct norms that
define how the musicians perform during the raucous festivities they are the calm within the storm, and representative of the
higher order that is in touch with and yet distinct from the human
world of instability and emotion.
the heart of the masses. The cheering crowd will choose the
victorious side. After some time, in an unspoken agreement, the
loser of the battle will pull away from the victor, and move off
down the street.
The symbolism of this encounter has multiple meanings: at the
popular level, the floats are built to show off the beauty and
workmanship of the craftsmen; while at the mythical level, the
portable shrines are symbols of power, and denote the ability of
the victorious kami to overcome all obstacles – the use of music
and song expressing a natural harmony and
rhythm that cannot be suppressed by any
outside force. The dynamic battle between
the dashi is an expression of manifest
for this is the day
energy, and a time to witness the long
dormant
forces of nature. This is the
when the kami
moment when the kami are among humans
have entered the
again, and eager to show off their latent
potencies and divine potentialities.
The dashi towers are mobile in that they
can be turned and rotated in order to face
the crowd or an opposing dashi. This
facilitates a dynamic relationship with the
people, as the flow of energy between the
crowd and the dashi is palpable; for this is
the day when the kami have entered the
corporeal world of form, and the spectacle
corporeal world of
of their procession through the town is
The worship of the kami is defined by the
something that should be witnessed and
form
seasons, as Japan is a country that moves
experienced through a direct encounter
very much with the seasons even now. The
with the kami. The form of the kami is seen
year is structured around such events as the
(shirushi), and it is a sign from the gods that
cherry blossoms blooming in spring, and the
the natural order within the universe is being maintained, and that
summer Bon festival (the ancient Buddhist ritual for the dead), as
proper respect is being given.
well as the lunar cycle that brings around the seasonal festivals
The people have an integral part to play in the festival as each year. The cultivation of rice, and the celebration of the
onlookers have the chance to cheer and shout for their favourite autumn harvest has a long association with veneration for the
dashi in the battle of song. Each dashi tower holds a magical being, kami, and the rites and rituals of the matsuri allow people to
accompanied by various musicians. The magical being is a worship together, give thanks for the bountiful gifts of the gods,
messenger of the gods, and is housed at the top of the dashi in and appreciate their innate power.
order to be observed by all.The most common instruments to be
In the culture of consumerism that seems so rampant in
played for the festival music (ohayashi) are the drum (taiko) and
modern society all over the world, the chance to participate in a
the Japanese flute (fue). The musicians will play a constant beat
festival is a timely reminder of ancient ways and beliefs that still
and rhythm, and whenever two dashi should meet each other,
may have something to tell us yet. The experience of seeing the
there is a musical battle.The magical beings will gesture and shout
mikoshi amongst the crowds can allow the people to connect to
at each other, and attempt to win over the crowd, and defeat
higher forces, as the sacred erupts through song and sound, and
their opponent. The aim is to outlast the opponent, and even put
reverberates through the profane world of time and space. This
them off their musical rhythm. Drums will roll, shouts and cries
expression of natural power is a testament to a life not yet
will reverberate through the air, notes of a flute will float around
forgotten, and a message of hope that continues to be retold
the onlookers, and the dashi will continue their musical melee in
throughout the ages.
19
LIFESTORY • Michael Wilson
God’s guiding hand
I
was born in 1928, and my earliest memories encompass my
maternal grandparents and my mother and father, all fine
upstanding people who gave me a wonderful childhood but
sadly those memories do not include a united home. My parents
were separated before my memory began. I was blessed with
wonderful school teachers in my prep school – on reflection I
think they realised this rather timid little boy needed ‘tender
loving care’ and they gave it. I especially loved my scripture and
geography lessons, both of which influenced my life course.
My first clear memory of guiding signposts for life was George
VI's Christmas broadcast in the dark early days of World War II.
The faltering, courageous voice (he had a stammer) telling his
people to follow the guidance in Molly Haskin's poem:
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: Give me a
light that I may tread safely into the unknown.
And he replied: Go out into the darkness and put thine hand into
the hand of God.
That shall be to thee better than light and safer than a known way.
I have quoted this to myself at many times of uncertainty since.
Life in the hotel where I
was billeted was not very
satisfactory (cockroaches in
my fried egg etc) so I scanned
the small foreign community
for flat mates. I set up house
with a German, a Swiss and a
Colombian. This proved to be
a wonderful development and
we were very happy. For me
it was a salutary experience. Dieter, the German, became a very
firm friend (he had been in the Hitler Youth in the AA batteries
defending Berlin). Before long I was questioning why our
politicians could create wars that would oblige Dieter and me to
try and kill each other!
Colombia was in the throes of "la violencia", civil war, in which
the official death toll was 250,000. One night I was working
alone in the mill (almost 500m outside the town) when a volley
of shots rang out. I left, hurriedly unlocking the gate and leaping
into my car. Next day a body riddled with bullets was found
beside the gate! In those days most people in Pereira carried
machetes and not infrequently used them to settle arguments.
I took to long solitary walks in the country, both at school and
in the holidays often in Scotland, walking for hours over the
moors and hills. There was nothing lonely or
sad about these walks – I found I could
on my way home I
commune with God, and glean strength from
would stop the car and
Him. At school I used to go far out over the
cross a meadow to the
Downs on Sundays and it was there that I
edge of a forest and as
asked God to come into my life and guide me.
the dusk fell say my
He did!
prayers, with dozens of
Work was very hard with so much training
to do but most nights on my way home I would
stop the car and cross a meadow to the edge
of a forest and as the dusk fell say my prayers,
with dozens of fireflies dancing in the dusk
around me. Magic! Church was a problem but
I used to attend Mass (Latin) in the cathedral
sometimes. When there was a long weekend I
fireflies dancing in the
When the time came for me to leave school
used to venture into the foothills and higher
dusk
around
me.
I opted for the Navy and spent a couple of
parts of the Andes for 2 or 3 days, often
years on the lower deck. This experience was
accompanied by Dieter and one or two others.
invaluable in forming my character. In parallel
We reached 15000-17000' quite often, using
of course all my generation reached adulthood with pretty
mules borrowed from a Colombian friend. Locally, I became
strong feelings about Germans and Japanese, especially as horrific
known as Miguel del Monte – Michael of the Mountain.
stories emerged from Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany
The time came for me to move on so I wended my way
and Changi Prison in Singapore.
homewards via Inca civilisations in Peru and down the Amazon
The Navy was followed by Oxford where I studied Geology.
from Iquitos (some 2000 miles from the Atlantic) taking most of
On leaving Oxford I was advised to enter the world of
my leave to reach UK where I was to be based for a couple of
commerce and I joined J & P Coats, thinking that would enable
years.
me to see the world. It did! I spent 25 years in Latin America.
By this time, as a 29 year old, you will guess I had begun to
First I was sent to Havana to continue my training where after
yearn for a wife. Indeed my prayers were probably indecently full
the austerity and rationing in Britain, life, even on a shoestring
of this. For many months I worked in head office in Glasgow but
budget, was delightful. Fidel Castro was active, and one could see
found no one. Then in His own good time God took a hand.
how the unrest was building closer and closer to the surface.I
One February Friday I was summoned – "Wilson I am sacking
was then posted to Columbia, to Pereira, a hill town 5000’ up in
the Manager of Manchester region, you are to go and take over
the Andes. There followed 2½ years of high adventure, recruiting
by Monday lunchtime while we find and train a successor."
and training staff, setting up systems and visiting customers.
20
Michael Wilson • LIFESTORY
Down I went, the Manchester fog was dense. Meantime the
Good Lord created a fault in the phone of my mother's
neighbour. This lady happened to be the aunt of a young lady
who lived in Cheshire, who had also been longing for a mate. The
young lady, Rosemary, and I met on February 12th 1958 and had
half a dozen dates during which we discovered we had so much
in common. As I returned to Glasgow, looking forward to a long
and leisurely courtship. Imagine my horror to being sent for a
week later and told “you’re off to Chile next week – you'll be
there for 3 years". With great courage Rosemary agreed to
become my wife on Easter Sunday 1958 only a day after I met her
parents for the first time. We were married at Holy Trinity
Church, Brompton, London, and after one week's honeymoon off
I went, to be followed 10 weeks later by my wife. I have told this
story at some length because God does answer prayers and has
a lovely sense of humour!
Chile came up to my expectations and we both developed a
deep affection for the country and its people.
We started a family and just before our first little boy arrived
our puppy "too young to have a rabies jag" developed rabies.
Fourteen jags deep into the tummy the remedy in those days –
and you had to wait 3 months to know if you were safe. We
decided not to tell our families but God and our friends in Chile
kept us wonderfully supported.
In 1967 we were transferred to Brazil where I was to take
charge of Marketing and Sales in this vast country. Here again we
were blessed with a wonderfully supportive Christian
community, and we needed support as someone put a
"macumba" (black magic) spell on us manifested by very
unpleasant happenings. Space doesn't permit me to go into much
detail. Suffice it to say we, and our home, had to be exorcised by
the Anglican Bishop. We were advised also to be cleansed in the
local way by an "umbandista", a faith healer who in a trance
confirmed we had all been severely cursed. (The woman who
placed the curse on us later confessed, jealousy the root cause.)
Year’s later when we had returned home, by one of those
serendipitous moments, when attending chapel at our boys'
school, it so happened that the preacher was the exorcist for the
Bishop of London. We knew a young man who we were sure had
been cursed in Brazil and I was able to take him for a session to
this wonderful priest. After long and painstaking questioning we
adjourned to the church and the exorcism took place. The devil
within turned out to be of Brazilian origin and the struggle that
ensued was horrific. After it was successfully over the priest
asked if he could check me. He reported "you are fine now but
there is a noticeable scar from a previous curse from which you
have been cleansed". Our young friend, who had tried to kill
himself on various occasions, is now much better.
We returned home in 1979 to work from our head office
in Glasgow. In my case, my job entailed a lot of overseas
travel; in one period I worked in 26 countries in 2 years
and inevitably, my health crumbled and I had to retire a
bit early. One day when I had just said goodbye to my
sister who was dying and I was uneasy about my own health, the
train stopped beside a poster which read "Do not let your hearts
be troubled, Trust in God, trust also in me”. – John 14 v 1.
In 2001 my heart began to falter, and became increasingly
troublesome until in 2008 things looked bleak. Here again the
Good Lord stepped in, a slot was created and a long operation
ensued, resulting in a replacement valve being inserted by a
brilliant surgeon who reported "ten years ago we couldn't have
saved you and two weeks later would have been too late". I got
home 2 days before our Golden Wedding. I must mention that I
know I was sustained by a twelve-hour wave of prayer offered
up by a team of Christian friends. In addition members of my
staff in Chile (from 50 years ago) have been arranging masses for
me, for Rosemary who has cancer, and for 2 of our children who
have lost their jobs. My links with Cuban, Colombian and Chilean
friends from half a century ago have remained firm and we
treasure them deeply. My story would not be complete without
mentioning the fact that through a venerable aunt we were
introduced to the Scottish arm of the growing Christian
Meditation movement. Our involvement with these special
people has been a source of strength and support that we
treasure greatly.
A closing word, the past couple of years have been blighted
with some deeply worrying family crises such as many families
have to confront. Just last week when Rosemary and I were
discussing one of these problems a most beautiful rainbow
appeared – the most vibrant I have ever seen. It only lasted a
couple of minutes but the message was clear "All will be well"
and it will be.
God has accompanied us on our pilgrimage through life and we
are deeply grateful.
My eventide wish: That the world's great religions would realise
how much they have in common and work together to defend
the world and its environment, its people, their faiths and their
principles, from the forces of evil which seem to be rampant.
"Lo I am with you always."
Matt. 28 v 20
"The Lord is my refuge and my
fortress, my God, in him will I trust."
Psalm 91v2
21
Art and meditation • Malcolm Dick on Mohsen Keiany
Mythical
Legacy
Persian paintings by Mohsen Keiany
T
he Chinese philosopher Lao Tse said: ‘the wise prefer nondoing (meditation) and live in quietness. Everything happens
around such a person as if by itself. He is not attached to
anything in the Earth. He does not own anything made by him. He is
not proud about his work.’
For Mohsen Keiany painting is a form of meditation. He never
plans, designs or makes sketches for his paintings. He creates
textures and then he sits in front of the canvas for hours,
uncovering different elements such as trees, rocky landscapes,
animals and human figures.
His characters who wear traditional Persian dress, often ride
horses, play music and participate in ceremonies, dances and
other social gatherings. Their facial expressions reveal strong
emotions. They look sad, even though they might be thinking and
meditating cheerfully. His art is rhythmic: the observer’s gaze
moves from one object to another as it travels to all parts of a
painting. The music of Persian instruments combines with the
sounds of horses and goats that run across a painting.
22
The bright colours remind us of tiles and stained-glass windows
in Persian architecture. The warm colours represent the sunny
climate of Iran. Ancient references are inspired by Mirlic, Seyalc
and Lurestan archaeological sites. Recently he has scored poems
by Hafez into the surface of his paintings, which demonstrates his
loyalty to this great Persian poet.
The Persian philosophical approach can be seen in traditional
Persian miniature paintings and this is the most important
inspirational component of Mohsen’s art – a mythical legacy from
the past. His art introduces a different way of understanding
traditional Persian philosophy that compares with other modern
representations in the arts, including Iranian cinema.
A necessary part of his work is to represent the Creator as the
most delicate form of consciousness in the universe. Mohsen’s art
evokes spirituality as a means of leading people to God and
ultimately towards perfection. ‘Spiritual’ can be defined as that
which expresses the numinous and evokes attraction and awe.
Spirituality is a feeling we gain when we face an aspect of the
divine, an overwhelming consciousness, which may not be overtly
religious.
Spiritual Gathering oil on canvas
www.mohsenkeiany.com
Art and meditation • Malcolm Dick on Mohsen Keiany
Neyestan oil on canvas
Tabbarok (blessing) oil on canvas
For Mohsen painting
is a form of meditation.
Ava and Nava oil on canvas
23
Neda oil on canvas
interfaith encounter • Mary Braybrooke
Elders
Revered or Redundant?
A Seminar at the Parliament of the Worlds Religions.
Melbourne December 2009
T
his seminar was an interactive discussion with people,
especially chaplains from many faith traditions and
different parts of the world. The topics were wide-ranging
and personal: I talked of my work supporting kidney patients as
they make decisions in whether to choose dialysis, transplantation
or withdrawal from dialysis followed by palliative care. There was
however some resistance when I raised the issue of assisted
suicide and death and dying.
Here I reflect on comments, perceptions and observations
made by participants on the process of ageing and the place of
older people in today’s world.
It has been said that nothing is more certain than death or
taxation. Now many have a third certainty - the gift of growing
old. Life expectancy in the U.K. in 1900 was 48 for men and 52
for women: based on statistics drawn from mortality rates in
2006-2008 a girl child born today has a life expectancy of 81.6 and
a boy child 77.4.
A recent U.S. Central Bureau report shows that ‘As we move
through the first decade of the 21st century, population ageing
has emerged as a major demographic worldwide trend’.
Examples are : 65+ as % of population
2010
2040
Australia
13.9
23.6
Brazil
6.8
17.5
China
8.3
22.6
U.K.
16.4
25.1
U.S.A.
13.0
20.4
India
5.4
13.2
As individuals and members of a society, we all have ambivalent
feelings about old age and can ourselves be ageist, thinking we
hardly matter in a changing society. We may dislike getting older,
fear mortality, dread the loss of bodily functions, and dislike our
physical appearance. We may worry about scarce resources and
feel “we have had our day”. Moreover, older people may sense
others’ contempt for the vulnerable; they are treated like children
and frightened to stand up for themselves.
24
All religions however teach respect for elders and their wisdom
is revered and treasured. Religions also expect children to care
for their parents and people from traditional societies are often
shocked that in the West elders are ‘put in a home’. The mobility
of the modern global society, however, is forcing change upon
many communities. How do you care for parents if they live in
another continent? Should a woman give up her job - vital for the
family budget - to care for her invalid father-in-law?
Yet a civilisation should be judged by how it cares for its frailer
members. There are many unsung examples of saintly relations
caring day in and day out for sick and older family members saving the state billions of pounds. People in their seventies are
caring for people in their nineties.
But Carers themselves need support. Confusion and anger in
partners or children coping with dementia, change of personality,
and other illnesses is understandable. Professional help will
probably be needed to try and overcome some of the problems.
After sleepless nights and with little thanks from the changed
loved-one, it is hard to feel compassion.
The Churches, the Jewish community and now other faith
communities provide many care homes. But what provision is
made for the social and spiritual needs of older people generally?
Spiritually in our declining years we are said to grow nearer to
God and wiser through experience and long living. We hope to
help others on their way - but how many younger people want to
be told what to do! I have met many older people who feel
redundant and undervalued by society, especially those in
residential and nursing homes, and there are reports of ill
treatment of some in their own homes, in hospitals, and in
residential care.
So how does each society and culture treat its older people?
This varies everywhere and no society is static. More mobility
means changes in family life so that there is need for
communities, especially faith groups, to provide what close-knit
families did automatically. Many who live alone long for someone
to listen to their story. Our world is a consumer/customer place,
valuing high earners and emphasising ‘doing’ rather than ‘being’.
The true values, that all faiths stress, such as love, compassion,
patience, peacefulness, gentleness, and loving God and our
neighbour as ourselves are often forgotten.
Psalm 71. v9
Cast me not in the time of my old age; when my
strength fails forsake me not.
Mary Braybrooke • interfaith encounter
There is no separation between the spiritual, practical and
emotional. All aspects of our lives are interlinked. Old Age may
be a time to ‘be’ rather than to ‘do’. Erik Erikson said that this
cannot happen until we accept what he calls ‘the unalterabilty of
the past and the unknowability of the future’i.
When death appears to be near, the older person, like all
people, often wants to search for final meaning, to find intimacy
Beatitudes from an old person
Blessed are those who understand my faltering steps
and palsied hand
Blessed are those who know my ears today must strain
to catch the things they say
Blessed are those who seem to know that my eyes are
dim and wits are slow
Blessed are those who looked away when coffee spilt
at the table
Blessed are those who never say. You’ve told that story
twice today
Blessed are they who know the way to bring back
memories of yesterday
Blessed are those who know I’m at a loss to find the
strength to carry the cross
Blessed are those who ease the days on my journey
home in loving ways.
with God, to overcome the difficulties of disability, pain and loss
and to find hope. May they have wise and loving companions with
them at this time.
Perhaps most important, may they share the hope of most
people of faith that death is not the end, but a gateway to new
life.
i E.Erikson The Life Cycle Completed 1982 W.W.Norton NY.
The Qu’ran says Be kind to your parents…say not to them a word
of contempt.i
The Bible says, ‘You shall rise up before the grey head and honour
the face of the elderly.’ ii
A Buddhist text says ‘We may carry our mothers on one shoulder
and our fathers on the other, and attend to them even for a
hundred years, doing them bodily services in every possible way …
still the favour we have received from our parents will be far from
requited.’ iii
Hindus take for granted that elderly family members are cared for
by their family.iv
The Jewish community has produced a resource guide for
congregations on “Sacred Ageing. To Honour and Respect”
Anon
i Qur’an 17, 23-4. Quotations are taken from Ethical Issues in Six Religious Traditions, ed. Peggy Morgan and Clive Lawton, Edinburgh University Press, 1996.
iiLeviticus 19, 32. iiiAnguttara Nikya , vol 1,. Sectio0n 61-2. ivWerner Menski in Ethical Issues in Six Religious Traditions p. 30.
Biblography
Valuing Age James Woodward SPCK 2008m To Honor and Respect Richard F. Address and Andrew Roenkranz 2005 1000 World Prayers Marcus Braybrooke 2003
WOMEN’S INTERFAITH WORKSHOPS
Organised by Initiative Interfaith Trust and funded by a ‘Faiths in Action’ Grant.
WORKSHOP 1 11/10/09 WORKSHOP 2 16/11/09 WORKSHOP 3 25/4/10
The aim of the workshops is to empower women in the
community of Hounslow to bring about positive change in interreligious relations and create interfaith friendships.
We are delighted to report that in our third Workshop, held on
the 25th April 2010 in Hounslow, members of the group formed
a Steering Circle that will support the vision of its members to
become a ‘Women’s Interfaith Group’ with the following aims:
• To bring women together of different faiths; to help them gain
the confidence and skills in reaching out to different cultures and
faiths.
• To share knowledge of faiths.
• To recognise the divine in the feminine.
• To celebrate women’s contributions to community/faith-based
issues.
• To provide opportunities for self-development for local women.
• To raise awareness about religions by visiting different places of
worship.
• To build bridges where there are divisions between faith groups.
• To raise interfaith awareness through education and training.
• To support and encourage intergenerational learning of
interfaith issues.
The progress of the women of Hounslow, in their desire for
change, will be nurtured locally by Charanjit Ajit Singh and
Harbans Kaur who are working in partnership with Emma
Winthrop – Workshop Facilitator – and Heather Wells and Lorna
Douglas of Initiative Interfaith Trust.
Please pray for all the women as they courageously
accept the challenges ahead in the creation of a new
movement for positive change.
Heather Wells
25
LANGUAGE OF ART • Seeds of Thought
SEEDS OF THOUGHT:
Art of Poetry – Conflict
INTRODUCTION
S
eeds of Thought is a non-funded group that aims to promote the
sharing of cultures through poetry, art and music. The group was
started by 3 people in 2006; Ernest and Tawona Sithole, brothers
from Zimbabwe, and close friend Tarneem Al Mousawi from Bahrain. It’s
not intentionally a multi-cultural group, but defaults as such due to the
background of the founders and members. The ethos of the group is that
everyone’s voice deserves to be heard – a seed to plant and we help each
other in tending to the seeds. The group is open to all adults and is free.
We have a writing group that meets fortnightly at St Mungo Museum of
Religious Life and Art, and we host a monthly performance evening at the
Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow.
Seeds of Thought challenged their members to create an original
‘illustrated poem’ to explore individual interpretations of conflict.
Conflict takes many forms from personal turmoil, to not seeing eye-to-eye with one another. It can also
be more sinister, precipitating war between nations. The natural world is filled with confliction, the fight for
space between plants, animals and humans; land mass competing with water in receding shorelines;
devastation of landslides, floods and earthquakes.
The group have varying capabilities and this exhibition posed a challenge to some by making them step
out of their comfort zone. The hard work shown by each member, in the creation of their pieces (solo or
collaborative), is a testimony to the philosophy of the group – it is more significant for people to express
themselves than worrying about perceived brilliance or expertise. This exhibition was made possible
through support from St. Mungo’s. Members provided their own materials, and the museum staff framed
and hung the work using their own resources. This is the second such project following on from the ‘Art
of Poetry’ exhibition that ran from 2008-2009.
ARTISTS / POETS COMMENTS
Tawona Sithole - Haunting Hunting
Creating a piece of visual art was both challenging and exciting, as
I was stepping out of my comfort zone. I was fortunate to have
Tarneem as personal mentor and I enjoyed meeting the challenge,
igniting a thirst for art. As someone who grew up in a family where
creativity is shared and encouraged, I have learned to appreciate the
importance of self-expression. I think that this is more valuable than
the complicated world of trying to ascribe excellence to creativity.
I have two pieces in the exhibition. Haunting Hunting is a drawing
inspired by rock paintings, a little understood art form from the
past. I depicted a hunting scene that shows the power of the hunted.
26
Haunting Hunting
Tarneem Al Mousawi – Luxury of Choice
Seeds of Thought • LANGUAGE OF ART
Together with Tawona, and Maggie McBean from St Mungo Museum, I organised The Art
Of Poetry Exhibition. I’m more of an artist than a writer so I wanted to provide an
opportunity for the group and myself to do something that incorporated art and words.
The luxury of Choice came from my frustration with the wasting of resources, and my
own battle of trying to appreciate what I have. It is a two-piece artwork showing the same
person in different states, from plenty to scarcity. It seems people who live in extreme
poverty appreciate more than people who live with ‘the luxury of choice’. They can choose
to not eat (diet regimes) or waste, as they are subconsciously guaranteed to receive more
food. These attitudes, as with people’s circumstances, easily can change – signified by the
dotted line linking and revolving around both states of being. Once I’d completed the art
work I struggled to create a poem to suit. I was assisted by Tawona as he thought of a line
from one of his poems “Warm Wishes in the Cold” that matched the sentiment of what I
wanted to represent.
Lorna Callery - Newton’s Law
Luxury of Choice
I am a writer, artist and educator involved with Seeds of Thought for two years. Seeds of
Thought has provided a stimulating environment in which to share my work and has helped
establish Glasgow’s Literary community over the years by running workshops, spoken word
nights and other events such as the Poetry Café. Seeds is a space where new and
established writers can open up a dialogue about their work without fear of criticism. The
Seeds organisers are always pushing the boundaries for writers to challenge themselves by
creating new opportunities such as the Conflict exhibition.
Newton’s Law was inspired by the notion of freedom of speech, beliefs or opinions – a
basic human right that can be forcibly silenced even in a ‘civilised society’. I used yellow
police tape where the usual text is replaced by the poem Newton’s Law, which deals with
war. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, and for the next generation
who are growing up in war zones or bombarded with propaganda, there is little hope for
a brighter future. However, we should never stop trying to fight for what we believe in –
especially peace – no matter how much yellow police tape gets in our way.
Newton’s Law
Kristen Neilson - Jailbird Blues
I've been with Seeds Of Thought for 8 months and I love it because it’s good for my
writing skills to be around gifted poets and listen to their inspiration. It is fresh and raw and
is fun to collaborate on subjects, which can be political, social or simply fun. It helps with
my song writing and allows me to share my unpublished work with people who appreciate
it and give feedback. I love the CCA nights too and it is very cultural and uplifting.
Jailbird Blues is a whirlpool of two poetic reflections with a key from the outside making
its journey to a locked door in the inside, it is dreamy yet real and explores the associations
I have with the causes, triggers and manifestations of my battle and acceptance of being
diagnosed with Bi-polar disorder. It makes you turn your head when you read it which gives
the feeling of dizziness and the fact that my life was turned upside down when I was in the
throws of the illness at its worst. I hope the piece evokes hope as recovery is paramount
in the work as a whole and ultimately I want it to break down the stigma associated with
any mental health problem.
Jailbird Blues
Oli Higham - Up
I've been involved with seeds over the past few years, regularly performing and
compering for the monthly nights. I also take part in their writing groups, although not as
often as I'd like to. I've also been part of a group of Seeds who took part in the national
review of live art, performing as part of an interactive piece ‘the book of blood’ exploring
the deceleration of human rights.
My piece in the exhibition is a painting from a series based on a poem which itself was
based on a painting I had done years ago. The series explores the idea of pushing against
waterfalls. Rebelling and fighting against the things that hold people down. A lot of my art
is inspired by the pursuit of rising up from under oppression.
27
Up
reflection • Dr Mukti Barton
Paradox of Love
jee
ker
u
M
Mrs Mad
"Death is not extinguishing the
light but putting out the lamp
because dawn has come" 1
hob
iB
ala
The
I
was with my 95 years old Ma when she was trying to put out
the lamp of life in the firm belief that her dawn had come.
Ma had a fall in August 2009 and broke her hip. After six weeks
it was found that although there was some healing, her body had
not produced enough callus to make her hip strong. The doctors
could do no more and Ma was to be bed-ridden for the rest of
her life.
Ma was in her own home in India where she lived with my
youngest brother and family. I took leave from my work in England
and when I arrived there I found that she had already closed her
eyes to the world and had begun her inner journey towards the
dawn. She acknowledged my arrival. I had two weeks and I
decided to stay with her all her waking hours during that time. I
realized that not only in the time of our birth but also in the time
of our death we need midwives: I feel I served as midwife to my
dying mother.
She was in tune with her dying process. I do not know who
taught my mother to welcome her dying process, but she seemed
to know what to do. Ma told us, her loved ones, that her time had
come. She was preparing herself to meet her Maker and in her
Gethsemane she wanted her loved ones to be with her. We
realized that we should not distract her by talking about ordinary
things, but take her dying process seriously and support her.
When Jesus was preparing himself for his death, Peter tried to
distract him and this made Jesus angry (Mark 8.31-33), whereas
when a woman poured perfume on Jesus' head to prepare him for
his burial he was pleased (Mark 14.3-9). I learned that one can
help the dying person, not by denying the reality of death, but by
acknowledging it.
28
Ma had no doubt that she was going to be one with Jesus and
that would be the best thing that could happen to her. She kept
asking us, "When will Jesus take me? Why is he delaying?" For her
journey she needed only two things: the company of God and the
presence of her loved ones. She began to call her loved ones again
and again by name and to call on God through hymns and prayers.
Her unspoken message to us was clear: "stay with me; watch and
pray". Hymns and songs were the last things lingering in her
memory, giving her the language she needed. In her Gethsemane,
through her singing, she was saying, "Your will be done." Then she
asked us to commit her soul to God. We did that. She then
committed herself to God. Ma believed that this would enable her
to die.
Some days she expressed her fears: the fear of death, because
it is completely unknown. She also had a fear of leaving her loved
ones behind. Not by denying her fears but by admitting them she
overcame them. Prayers and singing, her spiritual exercises, were
aiding her.
During the daytime I sat by her bedside. She held my hand
tightly. She would pull my face down to shower it with kisses. One
day she said, "Come and lie down next to me". I went and lay
down. Others in the family asked in surprise, "What are you
doing?". As I lay down there we kissed and hugged each other and
wept. After this she called my sister and sister-in-law to do the
same. One by one we went and lay down beside her and we
bathed ourselves in the overflowing love. This process touched us
all at a very deep level.
We often hear that we must learn to love our neighbours, but
do we ever hear that we must learn to demand and receive love?
My mother taught me that love is a circle which is created when
human beings demand, give, receive and return love. Little
children naturally create this circle of love. They demand love; the
adults give it and the children in their receiving of love return it
to the adults. For demanding and receiving love we have to
become childlike and show our vulnerability.
Her deep attachment to us was helping her to be detached.The
deeper her love was for us, the easier it was for her to let go. She
was soaking up our love to be free from the bond of love.
Reflecting back I can see she died a good death - she died well
- because she lived well. She loved her life. We might think it is
difficult for people to die if they love their life too much. Again I
believe there is a paradox here. If we love life, we can love death.
She had a healthy attachment to life. When we know we have
lived a good life, death is not so frightening.
As her body and mind became feeble, her soul was working
overtime. When all was stripped of her life, we could almost see
the essence of her being. Her inner being showed me that a welldeveloped spirituality was helping her dying process. Her religion,
Dr Mukti Barton • reflection
Christianity, certainly helped her. As she had developed a very
strong relationship with Jesus, she had no doubt that she was
going to Him. This was not daunting, but an exciting prospect. It
was a great privilege to have a glimpse of her soul.
If she had not seen us for a few days, she would say, 'Why don't
you come to see me any more?' When anyone in the
neighbourhood was ill your mother used to pray to Jesus. She
expressed her love for us in this way." Another Hindu woman
spoke during a prayer meeting given in my mother's honour. She
said, "Your Ma did not differentiate between Hindus and
Christians and loved us all equally. She joined in our Hindu
festivals and we joined her in your
Christian festivals. Through her love we
got to know Christianity."
Ma said she went to her grave twice and came back. I could
almost see the threshold between life and death that her soul was
constantly trying to cross. My leave ended, it was time to get back
to England. I told Ma that I was going
back. She asked, "Why don't you wait until
I die?" I said I would come back at
My mother taught me
Christmas. She said, "You won't see me
that love is a circle
then." We both wept. I said, "Ma, I am not
leaving you; I am taking you with me in my
which is created when
heart and you will remain there for
human beings demand,
eternity."
We always knew that Ma took equal
care of her body, mind and soul, but her
dying process showed me the full extent
of the strength of her spirituality. She was
deeply connected with the ground of
give, receive and return
being, God, and her own inner being. The
Her situation deteriorated fast and
result was outpouring love for all. Ma had
love. Little children
within five days of my return to England
a very strong Christian faith and that
she died. I later learned that on the day
naturally create this
enabled her to love all people irrespective
she died, she was left alone in her room
circle of love
of religion. This has also taught me that if
for only a few minutes, and it was in that
your faith is deep, if you are a person of
moment that she took the opportunity to
deep spirituality, you do not see people of different religions as a
silently depart. My Baba (father) had done the same. Maybe it is
threat. Your heart becomes wider and wider to love all people.
hard to go when your loved ones are holding you tightly.
I was told that when Ma died she looked glorious. In India death
is not hidden away. As soon as my mother died people from the
neighbourhood, both Hindus and Christians, began to gather.
They washed the body and dressed her in a silk sari she wanted
to wear in death. In the courtyard the coffin was made and
wrapped beautifully with fabric. Her garlanded body was covered
with flowers. There was an all-night vigil. In the morning her body
was taken to another town, Krishnagar, to be buried. My Baba had
been a priest in that town for many years and was eventually
buried there. For years Ma had been writing down her wishes on
pieces of paper and had been telling us that she would like to be
buried in Baba's grave in Krishanagar.
After the all-night vigil the burial was to take place as soon as
possible. In England I woke up at 3.30 am, calculating the time
when the journey to Krishnagar would begin. I was shedding tears
of grief and joy, thinking that the great journey had begun, the
journey that she had been planning for many years, the journey
that she had so eagerly awaited. As the service was taking place
in India, we, my family in our home in England, got up and knelt
down in our prayer corner to commit my Ma's soul and sing
some Bengali hymns that she had been singing. The burial was
over within 24 hours of her death.
As was planned my husband and I went to India for Christmas.
It was less than two months after Ma's death. As we walked
around in the largely Hindu neighbourhood where she lived,
Hindu men and women stopped us to talk about Ma. One Hindu
woman said "Your Ma loved us and she demanded our love.When
she was well she used to visit our homes. The last few years she
had been losing her strength, so she demanded that we visit her.
Ma could say this prayer of Rabindranath Tagore
wholeheartedly:
Thou hast made me known to friends whom I knew not.
Thou hast given me seats in homes not my own. Thou
hast brought the distant near and made a friend of the
stranger.
I am uneasy at heart when I have to leave my
accustomed shelter; I forget that there abides the old in
the new, and that there also thou abidest.
Through birth and death, in this world or in others,
wherever thou leadest me it is thou, the same, the one
companion of my endless life who ever linkest my heart
with bonds of joy to the unfamiliar.
When one knows thee, then alien there is none, then
no door is shut. Oh, grant me my prayer that I may never
lose the bliss of the touch of the one in the play of the
many.2
Dr Mukti Barton is Tutor and Lecturer in Queen’s Foundation
Birmingham. Main Teaching areas: Black and Asian Liberation Theology
and Bible and Liberation. She is also Bishop’s Adviser for Black and Asian
Ministries in the Anglican Diocese of Birmingham.
1 Rabindranath Tagore, cited in a card produced by Middx: The Grail.
2 Rabindranath Tagore, Collected Poems and Plays (London: MacMillan,
1936), p.30.
29
religious education• Children of Lomond School
Experiencing Sikh Generosity
Last month our year J5, of Lomond School in Helensburgh, went on a trip to the Sikh Gurdwara in Glasgow. We did
this for our RE subject Sikhism. The week after everyone wrote stories about their experience in the Gurdwara.
We would like to share them with you.
As we stepped inside the Gurdwara we had to take our
shoes off and cover our heads with a cloth. Next we went
to the prayer hall and we had to bow to the Guru Granth
Sahib.
We sat at the side of the canopy and saw
worshippers arriving. Everyone sat together on the floor
to show that everyone is equal. It is a good thing that
men and women are treated in the same way.
Olivia Gibson and Rachel Currie
During our topic of Sikhism we learned about the five Ks .The first
is the kesh or uncut hair which is a sign of holiness. The Kara is a steel
bangle. It shows that God has no beginning and no end. The kirpan
or sword reminds Sikhs to stand up for what is right. The Sikhs also
wear cotton shorts. We think that these symbols show that Sikhs
really show respect to God.
Cameron Kemp, Gregor Cameron and Joseph Leila
30
Children of Lomond School • religious education
The Golden Temple in Amritsar is one of the most
important places of worship to Sikhs. Seven hundred and
fifty kilograms of pure gold was put into to making it! The
Golden Temple is in the middle of an artificial lake and has
four doors on each side which makes the temple open to all.
We found the Sikhs very welcoming and hospitable when we
visited their Gurdwara in Glasgow.
Paul Dunn and Charlie Johnston
When we went into the Gurdwara, we took off our shoes
and put on a head scarf as a sign of respect to God. We
went down the stairs to the Langer Hall. There were lovely,
detailed pictures. We looked at each one of them and
realised that the Sikhs had suffered during their history.
On our recent visit to the Gurdwara we experienced the
life of a Sikh. We saw the canopy where Guru Granth Sahib
is kept. Also the Sikh teacher told us about the 5K’s which
are extremely important to them. Finally we were given
some food and drink to eat which made us feel very
welcome.
Ben Mills & Abigail Swigsciski
We have enjoyed studying the Sikhism religion and we
think that we have some similar beliefs. For example Sikhs
believe in equality and only in one God and we also believe
this. In addition Sikhs go to a Gurdwara to worship and we
go to a church to worship.
Felicity Hutchison (9) and Rhys Girvan (10)
Phoebe Aylward and Jamie Fraser
Outside every Gurdwara flies a flag called the Nishan
Sahib. It is orange and has the symbol of Sikhism called the
khanda. The circle means that God is always present. The
swords remind Sikhs to stand up for the truth and help
those in need. We think that the Sikh belief to be kind and
help people is one we should all follow.
Ross Hamilton and John Hodgkiss
When we arrived at the Gurdwara, we took our shoes off
and put on a head scarf. One was orange with a picture of
a temple on it and the other one had the Ik Onkar symbol
which means there is only one God. Sikhs believe that you
should work hard and we will try to do this in school!
Amber Colquhoun and Kara Bruce
When we visited the Gurdwara, we felt very
welcome. We knelt before the Guru Granth Sahib
before sitting down in the prayer hall. When we
went down to the Langar hall or dining hall we
had food and drink. We found the Sikhs very
welcoming and pleased to teach us about their
religion.
Millie Grover and Jennifer Bell
From our recent visit to the Gurdwara in Glasgow we
discovered how the Sikhs worship Guru Granth Sahib.
Generosity is a way of life for Sikhs and at the Gurdwara they
greet everyone and offer food and drink. When we finally had to
leave we felt that we had a better understanding of their
religion.
Sophie Monteith and Mackenzie Serpell
We feel inspired by the Sikh way of life and Sikh beliefs. We are
amazed at how strict they are in following their religion, for
example carrying the 5K’s every single day. When we visited the
Central Gurdwara in Glasgow we felt as if we experienced part
of their culture.
Jimi Oniya and Andrew Macloed
Our class recently visited the Gurdwara in Glasgow. We were
amazed at the bed and canopy that holds the great book, Guru
Granth Sahib. Other Sikhs came to worship this while we were
talking to the teacher. The Sikhs greeted us in the Langar Hall
with food and drinks which made us feel very welcome here.
Ruairidh Scott-Brown, Harry Baker and Chiara
Robertson
Sikhs are passionate about their religion. When we
entered the Gurdwara we experienced how they
worship their god. We were given a factual lecture on
how the Sikh religion started and how it is today.
This experience was exceptional and we left feeling
more knowledgeable about the religion and what
happens inside the Gurdwara.
Benedict Ray and Andrew Porter
Our knowledge of Sikhism has increased by the way Sikhs
treated us at the Gurdwara. As we entered we were told to take our
shoes off and cover our heads. This made us feel welcome in their
place of worship. Our experience at the Gurdwara was fantastic as
it gave us an insight into the real Sikh religion.
Tyler Thomas and Callum Woodward
Outside the Gurdwara looked quite plain, however when we
stepped inside it was a rainbow of colours. As a sign of respect
we took off our shoes and covered our heads with headscarves.
We were pleased that we were experiencing the real Sikh culture.
Furthermore, we were given a factual talk about the importance
of Guru Granth Sahib.
Wallis Jamieson and Alexander Lauchlan
31
Fully Alive
Book review • Shuaib Karriem/Chris Chivers
W
hen Chris Chivers arrived in 2005 as a Canon at
Blackburn Cathedral, his new home-town had
recently been described by the then Deputy Prime
Minister’s office as one of the most segregated in Britain. His
starter budget line was zero. But from the smallest beginnings has
grown what Nobel Peace Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
has described as "one of the most important enterprises of our
time”. This has seen Canon Chivers found exChange, the
cathedral’s award-winning agency for interfaith and community
cohesion to try and ensure that differences of nationality, culture,
ethnicity and faith are not points of conflict but can be celebrated
instead through dialogue for the common good.
Fully Alive, his latest book results from the five years he’s spent
forging partnerships with people across the borough and way
beyond – not least his appointment of Anjum Anwar MBE, a wellknown local Muslim, as the first Dialogue Development officer at
a cathedral anywhere in the world. The book explores many of
the social challenges faced by humanity worldwide, and each of
the articles within it – many of which were first published in
national and international newspapers and magazines – offers
deep insight into the human psyche as the author finds
acceptance, respect and peace beyond difference.
From art to politics – with detours into soccer, rugby, cricket,
theatre, ballet and much else besides – the book finds much
inspiration in Africa , a continent Canon Chivers loves and which
he has served as priest and activist. There’s a whole section on
President Obama – whom Canon Chivers clearly admires and
whose inauguration he attended as part of a BBC Radio 4 team.
But equally Canon Chivers discovers role models and inspiration
amongst some of the legends of our time: Nelson Mandela,
Desmond Tutu, the late Princess Diana, Jonny Wilkinson and the
diarist Anne Frank, as equally amongst a priest in the middle of
Jerusalem and a teenager in a mosque in Tuzla. Alongside these,
he explores some of the toughest of historical issues – the
Holocaust, apartheid, segregation in Britain and the Iraq War –
but in a way that is never heavy-handed and always allows the
reader space to think.
On the book’s back cover, the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Dr Rowan Williams writes: "These are wonderfully
crafted reflections, clear, light-touch, sometimes
poignant, full of insight and unexpected revelations.
Chris Chivers brings together all sorts of experiences, as
priest and parent, thinker and commentator,
experiences from the United Kingdom and South Africa
and elsewhere, in a collection that has great inner
coherence, and makes Christian discipleship deeply
attractive – as well as reminding at least one reader of
the challenges of discipleship that have still to be met.”
Shuaib Karriem, an intern for exChange @ Blackburn Cathedral during
the summer of 2010, is a student at the University of Cape Town.
Published by Pretext, copies of Fully Alive are available at the
offer price for ‘Faith Initiative’ readers of £9-99 (RRP £14-99) plus
post and packaging (£1-50 per copy) where applicable.
For copies email: [email protected]
07706632508.
or
phone
what’s on
INTER FAITH WEEK 2010
Will run from Sunday 21st November to Saturday 27th November 2010
Its aims are:
l To strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels
l To increase awareness of the different and distinct faith
communities in the UK, in particular celebrating and
building on the contribution which their members make to
their neighbourhoods and to wider society; and
l To increase understanding between people of religious and
non-religious belief.
32
The Week is being led by the Inter Faith Network for the UK,
working with its member bodies. It will be community-led, with
local people and groups of different backgrounds holding their
own events and highlighting work going on to promote
understanding between people of different faiths and beliefs.
For further information please contact:
[email protected]
A Silent Revolution
Professor Ursula King • feminine and the divine
Gendering the Spirit:
T
he creative tensions that exist in the field of spirituality
and gender, and the new spiritual ideas, rituals and
practices that are emerging out of the women’s and men’s
movement in religion, bear witness to much zest, energy and fresh
creativity. They can be read as signs of the spirit in contemporary
culture pointing toward profound transformations and perhaps
new beginnings. This process of transformation is not just
happening in the West but is a global phenomenon. Instead of
being defined and confined by traditional religious teachings,
women are now taking more and more part in helping to redefine
religion and spirituality everywhere. This is not only true of
Christian, Jewish or secular women from Europe and North
America, but around the whole world. The Pakistani scholar
Durre S. Ahmed has forged the brilliant expression ‘Gendering
the Spirit’ for this transformation. Her book of this title brings
together a collection of essays on women’s alternative
approaches to Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Catholicism in
South Asiai. It provides plenty of evidence that there is a ‘silent
revolution’ going on among women of faith around the world, so
far little noticed among outsiders.
Throughout history, particular women have struggled, often
against great odds, to pursue a spiritual path against the wishes of
their families, friends, and religious authorities. The histories of
Jain, Buddhist, and Christian nuns provide ample examples of
women following extraordinary paths of spiritual devotion and
attainment. Women had to struggle to create their own religious
communities, and their gender always provoked male resistance
to women’s claim to autonomy, independent power and spiritual
authority. Thus women’s activities remained in most cases
constrained and controlled by male religious hierarchies, and this
is still the case today. Nowhere is this struggle more evident than
in the richly documented history of Christian nuns and sisters, in
whose cloisters and convents appeared countless women
scholars, mystics, artists, activists, healers and teachers over many
centuries of western history. This is a most precious heritage for
women today. Whether Christian or not, all women can be truly
proud of this as they can be of the spiritual achievements of
women in Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and other faiths.
Looked at from yet another perspective, the rich female
imagery and symbolism in different world faiths, though often
profoundly ambivalent, also provides numerous spiritual
resources for women. We can ask of all of them: Where are the
symbols and images of a feminine Divine, of female figures of
wisdom? Of the Spirit? Reading religious texts from a specifically
female gender perspective can lead to surprising new insights into
the human experience of the Divine, whether in gendered
patterns of mystical experience, or in the intimate presence of
the Spirit within our bodies and in the natural world.
The 1893 Chicago World’s Parliament of Religions had stressed
the new opportunities for women in religion, but also the need to
study the sacred languages and scriptures for themselves. Since
that remarkable event over a century ago, an ever growing
number of highly educated Jewish women rabbis, Christian
women ministers, female theology and religion scholars are
playing their part in shaping contemporary religious practice and
scholarship in the West and helping to develop the rich spiritual
resources of their traditions.
Similar developments can now be observed in Hinduism,
Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, and other religions in Asia, Africa and
elsewhere in the world. Women around the globe are acquiring
both scholarly and spiritual competences; they are gaining new
knowledge, agency, authority and public visibility, sometimes only
reluctantly acknowledged or even strongly resisted within their
own communities. Contemporary Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu
women and many others who have acquired a critical feminist
awareness, often also possess an activist inclination to work for
change in their own communities and in wider society. This
transformative process can only happen when women gain full
access to literacy and education at all levels. With regard to the
religious heritage this not only means the ability to read and
write, but to understand and interpret religious thought, offer
spiritual advice with discernment, authority and wisdom, and to
acquire full ‘spiritual literacy’. By now women have recovered
many rich resources for the development of spirituality - in
Christianityii Judaismiii and a wider perspectiveiv to mention
just three examples from a large field of spiritual literature.
Contemporary thinking has moved on from an exclusively
feminist and woman-centred approach to a more inclusive revisioning of gender relations which will have a radical impact on
spiritual practice. If we seek to ensure not merely the survival of
the human species on planet earth, but human flourishing for all
peoples in East and West, South and North – a flourishing that is
closely dependent on the advancement of greater peace and
justice around the globe – then it is imperative that women’s
spiritual commitment and dedication play a full part in this
process, but also that we understand more clearly the complex
connections between spirituality and gender. Only then will we be
able to develop spiritualities that will truly nurture and support
the lives of individuals and communities around the globe.
Ursula King is Professor Emerita of Theology & Religious Studies & Senior
Research Fellow at the Inst. of Advanced Studies at the University of Bristol, and
a Professorial Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies at
the University of London.
i Ahmed, Durre S., ed. (2002). Gendering the Spirit. Women, Religion and the PostColonial Response. London and New York: Zed Books.
ii Wolski Conn, Joann,ed. (1996) Women’s Spirituality: Resources for Christian
Development. Mahwah, NJ:Paulist Press. 2nd edition
iii Umansky, Ellken M. and Dianne Ashton, eds. (1992) Four Centuries of Jewish
Wmen’s Spirituality.A Sourcebook. Boston: Beacon Press
iv Harris, Maria (1991) The Seven Steps of Women’s Spirituality. New York: Bantam
Books
33
Insight• Meena Verma
Restoring
broken
“the
”
Caste discrimination and prejudice – a very modern crime
The Caste System
The caste system, which has existed for more than 3000 years,
is a traditional system of social segregation, which works on the
principle of purity and pollution. The caste system is historically
linked to Hinduism, but it is also followed by those of other
religions and none. Indian society is divided into four main
hierarchical caste groups: brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas and
shudras. Beyond this fourfold classification, there is a category of
“Untouchables” who are now identified under their own
preferred name of Dalit meaning ‘broken people’ or ‘broken
voices’. They occupy the lowest position within the caste system.
There are over 270 million Dalits worldwide with 170 million in
India alone. Their future has been preordained by their descent.
Caste discrimination is one of the most serious ongoing human
rights violations in the world today. Despite the practice of
untouchability being formally outlawed in the Indian constitution
of 1950, Dalits continue to suffer discrimination, violence, poverty
and a level of exploitation that amounts to modern day slavery.
Caste discrimination in modern India
Despite its reputation as ‘Shining India’, the world’s biggest
democracy and second fastest growing global economy can only
really attest to benefitting 7% of its population. In many rural
areas and small towns, the caste system is still very rigid. Caste is
also a factor in the politics of India: since Dalits constitute a
significant vote bank, timely promises are made and then equally
quickly broken. Dalit women (and girls) carry the triple burden of
discrimination - gender, caste and poverty - thus, their means of
economic and social survival is even more restricted.
Caste discrimination in the UK today
Despite the fact that many people of South Asian origin have
left their home countries and are highly educated, caste tends to
stay within the South Asian Diaspora. They number something in
the region of 2.3 million within the UK or 4% of the total
34
population. It is impossible to say with certainty how many of
these people are of Dalit origin as detailed research of this nature
is lacking, but it is accepted that there is a significant ‘population
pool’ of Dalit origin, numbering anything from 50,000 to 200,000
and spanning the various sub-continental religions.
While individuals of Dalit origin and their descendents in the
UK no longer pursue the culture-specific menial ‘polluting’
occupations traditionally associated with their caste status, the
‘untouchability mindset’ persists in the form of direct and indirect
discrimination. Ancestry is identified in a number of ways,
including on the basis of name (although names may be changed),
place of origin, former occupation, family members’ occupations,
place of worship, education, social circle and on the basis of
community knowledge. Therefore it is of little surprise that such
a deeply entrenched form of discrimination also exists within the
Diaspora communities in the UK - a fact that must be a cause for
concern for those who seek equality and justice.
A growing international concern
In her ‘Opinion’ piece dated 8th October 2009 and titled:
‘Tearing Down the Wall of Caste’, Navi Pillay, the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, wrote:
‘As a woman of colour from a racial minority growing up in
apartheid South Africa, I know a thing or two about
discrimination. Today, caste affected communities and civil society
activists are hoping to tear down the much bigger invisible wall of
discrimination by trying to promote new international standards
of equality and non-discrimination. I have tremendous respect for
their determination and courage.
Caste is the very negation of the human rights principles of
equality and non-discrimination. It condemns individuals from
birth and their communities to a life of exploitation, violence,
social exclusion and segregation. Caste-discrimination is not only
a human rights violation, but also exposes those affected to other
abuses of their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
Meena Verma • Insight
The time has come to eradicate the shameful concept of caste.
Other seemingly insurmountable walls, such as slavery and
apartheid, have been dismantled in the past.We can and must tear
down the barriers of caste too.’ (Published on the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights website www.ohchr.org)
UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery,
Gulnara Shahinian presented her first thematic report to the
Human Rights Council on the issue of 'bonded labour'. She said
that the 'causes of bonded labour have, dishearteningly, not
changed with the times. Factors such as poverty, migration,
discrimination on the basis of race, caste, social status and gender
are still the main causes of bonded
labour.'
And here in the UK
the research would "conclusively prove that caste discrimination
does occur in the fields covered by the Bill".
This promising development within our own legal system
threatens India's much-touted success in keeping caste out of
the resolution adopted at the 2001 Durban conference on
racism. India's opposition to the linking of caste with race began
in 1996, when it tried to free itself of ‘reporting obligation’
under CERD (UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination) saying that caste, though perpetuated through
descent, was ‘not based on race’.
Caste is the very
negation of the
human rights
principles of
equality and nondiscrimination.
The Equality Bill has been making its
way through Parliament over the past
three years. We – the Dalit Solidarity
Network UK - have been campaigning
since 2006 for the inclusion of caste as
a ‘protected characteristic’ alongside
sex, race, religion, gender etc. This was
steadfastly refused on the grounds that
all the evidence was purely anecdotal this, despite amendments being laid down in the House of
Commons by supportive MPs across the parties. The Network
and communities took the campaign to the House of Lords
during its reading of the Bill.
Having lobbied intensively for the inclusion of
caste in the Equality Bill we are, of course,
pleased with the outcome of the vote in the
House of Lords, and the study set up by the
Government, but any form of complacency on
our part at this stage would be ill-advised. I
believe that the process should not be delayed
and that the amendment legislation should be
enacted urgently. The Government needs to do
what is morally right and protect the victims of
caste discrimination in the UK. By taking such a
step, it can also set a powerful example for
other countries where this appalling form of
discrimination exists.
Meena Verma is Director Dalit Solidarity Network UK
At a meeting in the House of Lords on 4 February 2010 an
unprecedented meeting took place hosted by the Minister
Baroness Thornton. More than 20 Dalit groups assembled to give
evidence of the continued discrimination against them, their
families and their children. Some talked about being prevented
from promotion to management posts and to unfair and unequal
treatment. Others said that their caste prevented their children
from attending a local publicly-funded faith school, and how such
religiously segregated schools impeded social cohesion. One man
spoke of his personal suffering, which he did not want his children
to bear. In contrast, one young Dalit man said it was time to stand
up and be counted – to come out and declare:
WE ARE DALIT AND WE ARE PROUD. The evidence was
powerful and compelling.
Thus, on March 24, 2010 the House of Lords agreed to make an
amendment to the Single Equality Bill that will give the
Government power to forbid caste discrimination. The clause
states that ministers can define ‘caste’ to be an aspect of ‘race ‘
along with nationality, colour and ethnic origin. The amendment
was passed by the House of Commons on April 6 2010 and
granted Royal Assent on 8 April. A study into the impact, nature,
severity and extent of caste discrimination has now been
commissioned by the Government following which a decision
will be made on whether to ban caste discrimination. Lord
Avebury, who had tabled the amendment, said he believed that
35
poem • Rebecca Irvine Bilkau
A Masterclass
in Scholarship
Twenty years retired, this spring his project
is Latin, ‘at last’. We give him Asterix
and when he sees the book is in the tongue
of its little hero’s foes, the old scholar
laughs, in on the tease that irony might be
lost on him. He doesn’t clean his glasses
to admire the cartoon’s fluency or wit
but when he feels my worry for his sight
he describes the mist at 6 a. m., the skein
of dew between the night-time and the light,
and its promise of summer spiders, the ones
we’d both pet if we could. He pats my wrist
to show there’s nothing new to fear on earth
save our fear to look and wonders, the old
philosopher, what to leave for the new unborn:
the idea that they’re the gloria mundi
however they say it? That might be fun,
I nod, starting to conjure translations.
Rebecca Irvine Bilkau ©
36
Hans Hoffman • script
Hans Hoffman - Artist 1880-1966
Colours of the Divine
The whole world,
as we experience it
visually, comes to us
through the mystical
realm of colour.
37
Colours of the Divine
colours of the divine • Umm Hanié Rebler
Colours of Light
‘You never see red, green and reddish brown until you see light
But because your mind was distracted by colour, the colours became a veil to you from (perceiving)
the light
Since the colours are hidden at night, you have therefore found that the sight of colours is necessarily
due to light.
For without external light, there is no sight of colour, it is the same with inward, mental colours’.1
C
olour has different symbolic meanings in different
cultures. Green has a special place in Islam because
the Prophet Muhammad wore a
green jubba and green turban. Green is
used in the decoration of mosques as
well as bindings for the Qur’an and for
the covers of saints’ maqams (tombs). It
is also considered to be the colour of
Paradise. Blue, violet and turquoise have
a particular mystical meaning, being the
colours of devotion and the feminine,
which is why they are used so much to
decorate mosques, in beautifully
arranged patterns of tiles, both inside
and outside. White symbolises purity, which is why many
people choose to wear white on Fridays when they worship
in the mosque. Black is the most powerful because it is the
only ‘colour’ which can manifest itself without light.
Black is the most
powerful because it
is the only ‘colour’
which can
manifest itself
without light
Some Sufi disciples see bands of light before their eyes or
intricate patterns before they go to sleep, according to their
spiritual state. Sometimes they see violet, blue, magenta,
green, yellow, orange and gold patterns with Arabic writing.
38
One Sufi friend told us that he saw the letters of the Qur’an
turning from black to gold when he was reading it. Some
people are able to see auras, while those
who are fortunate enough to see angels
in all their splendour speak of the
feathering of their gigantic wings
sparkling like jewels. Or radiant like a
peacock’s tail - marvellous, shimmering,
iridescent colours. In many descriptions
of angels in holy books we are amazed to
read of their multi-coloured wings. Their
silvery unearthly whiteness and gold have
a translucent quality that is not seen here
on earth.
‘Their garments are white, but with an unearthly
whiteness. I cannot describe it, because it cannot be
compared to earthly whiteness; it is much softer to the eye.
These bright Angels are enveloped in a light so different
from ours that by comparison everything else seems dark.
When you see a band of fifty, you are lost in amazement.
They seem clothed with golden plates, constantly moving,
like so many suns.’ Père Lamy.
Umm Hanié Rebler • colours of the divine
‘All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.’2
I live near the River Rhine in a most beautiful part of
Germany called the Rheingau. Every day
I thank my Lord for the many gifts he
continuously showers upon us. When I
look out of my window I see the sparkle
of the river and how it changes in all
lights and all weathers. Sometimes it is
calm and placid, sometimes a pearly grey,
sometimes green, at other times steel
grey, lashed with white horses. But there
is a particularly peaceful light just after
sunset, when it is a most wondrous, silky
blue.
in search of their prey. Each one has its dress of shining
plumage - pure white, black and white, silver-grey, brown
speckled, striped with amber to brown quills, the blue and
yellow of the blue tits, the royal blue and teal along the
edges of the geese’s wings. Sometimes there is a
woodpecker with his green array, or two wood pigeons with
their soft grey and white colours. We also have South
American parrots flying in flocks around our garden, shining
a luminous green in the sunlight.
When the sun sets in the winter, with the filigree of the
trees against the sky, the river is aglow with a rosy and
purple light. Sometimes the sky is bright orange or a fiery
crimson and then the nuances of the river are remarkably
subtle, ever-changing from grey to purple, to mother-ofpearl, to pink, to the palest lilac with
dark purple clouds.
When the sun sets
in the winter, with
the filigree of the
trees against the
sky, the river is
aglow with a rosy
and purple light.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings:’3
The area abounds in birds. White swans all the year
round, herons and storks in spring and summer, until they fly
away again in the autumn. The geese fly over our house,
looking for grain in the snow-covered fields, the blue tits
come to our balcony to feed; the crows sit at the top of the
cypress tree vying with one another for territory, the
pheasants run around in the vineyards showing their
splendid russet with black and white spotted patterns, while
the hawks and buzzards hover and soar over fields and river
Each season brings its own divine
revelation and I cannot help but be
reminded of the Lord’s graciousness
when I see the trees in their spring
raiment of delicate green, their shadegiving, darker leaves in summer and the
variety of yellows, oranges and reds in
autumn. Then comes the harvest with
red, yellow and green apples, yellow and
brown pears, purple and green grapes,
orange pumpkins. Sometimes I ask myself how He continues
to create and hold everything together, despite man’s alltoo-frequent heedlessness towards his environment.
Colours of the Divine
When I was a little girl at school we often used to sing the
hymn ‘All things bright and beautiful’.. Not only did it have a
rousing melody that made us all feel uplifted, but in its
imagery and in its simplicity, it speaks to everyone and I
often reflect on these words:
When I see the spider-webs in autumn, hanging with dew
in rainbow-coloured droplets, or even a rainbow itself, I feel
humbled by the Lord’s majesty. I am in awe of His creativity
in inventing the fragile beauty of a butterfly’s wings, the
delicacy of a dragonfly with its transparent, diaphanous
wings, its incredible eyes. Even the strangest fish in the
darkest depths of the oceans, whose colours shine
luminously from the darkness when light is shed upon them,
are a sign of God’s greatness.
How can anyone deny His existence when all His signs are
there for us to see and be reminded of Him.
Then which of the favours
Of your Lord will ye deny?
4
1 Mathnawi I 1121 – 1124 Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, 2 Mrs C.F. Alexander, 1818-95 Songs of Praise, 3 Ibid,
4 The Holy Qur’an Sura 55, Ar Rahman
39
Colours of the Divine
colours of the divine • Caroline Jariwala/Alena Pergl Wilson
Colours of the Chakras
Mooladhara - Base chakra. Associated element Earth:
represented as Ruby/ Garnet Red - colour of red earth,
representing stability, grounding, vitality, self preservation.
Swadhistana -
Sacral chakra. Associated element
Water: represented as Orange/Red Camellia colour - place
of potential stored emotional negativity, attachment to
sexual desire, which needs to be transcended to progress
on the spiritual path. Once the control of this chakra is
mastered, there is a transformation: release of joy,
happiness, creativity /procreation.
Manipura - 'City of Jewels' - Solar plexus chakra
Associated Element is Fire – represented as
Orange/Yellow - like gold and sun, associated with warmth,
will power, energy, enthusiasm, self-esteem, richness, wellbeing.
Anahata - Heart chakra is traditionally represented as
Green (mint, fresh, light green), chakra of unconditional
love, peace, compassion, balance, calm. Light green colour is
used for emotional healing. Associated element is Air.
Vishudhi - Throat chakra – represented as Light Blue Grey. Chakra of communication, speech, cleansing, selfexpression. Associated element is Sound
Ajna - Third Eye – represented as Indigo, colour of
intellect, wisdom and understanding, imagination, clarity.
Associated element is Light.
Sahasrara - Crown chakra - Thousand Petal Lotus –
represented as all rainbow colours (sometimes shown as
Violet/Magenta, or even White) associated with universal
energy, inspiration, perfection, clarity, union with the Divine.
Associated element is Ether/ Void/ Space.
Alena Pergl Wilson
Tree of life - Chakra Series by Carloine Jariwala www.carolinejariwala.com
40
Tariq Ramadan • focus
TARIQ RAMADAN
WHAT I BELIEVE
Extract from WHAT I BELIEVE by Tariq Ramadan pub.
Oxford University Press 2010
T
his book is a work of clarification, a deliberately accessible attempt to pass off their selective, prejudiced hearing as
presentation of the basic ideas I have been defending for “doublespeak” one should be wary of. I have long been criticizing
more than twenty years. It is intended for those who have their deliberate deafness and their ideological “double hearing”: I
little time to spare: ordinary citizens, politicians, journalists, am determined to go ahead, without wasting my time over such
strategic diversions, and remain faithful to
perhaps some social workers or teachers
my vision, my principles, and my project. I
who may be in a bit of a hurry but who
a
“controversial
mean to build bridges between two
want to understand and possibly to check
intellectual”...What this
universes of reference, between two
things out. Rather than entering my name
(highly debatable) constructions termed
in a web search engine (and coming up
means is not quite clear,
Western
and Islamic “civilizations” (as if
with the million links that mainly report
but in effect everyone
those were closed, monolithic entities),
what others have written about me) or
admits that a
and between citizens within Western
being content with the so-called free
controversial
intellectual
societies themselves. My aim is to show,
virtual encyclopedias that are in fact so
is one whose thought
in theory and in practice, that one can be
biased (like Wikipedia, where the factual
both fully Muslim and Western and that
errors and partisan readings are
does not leave people
beyond our different affiliations we share
astounding), I give readers this opportunity
indifferent
many common principles and values
to read me in the original and simply get
through which it is possible to “live
direct access to my thought.
together” within contemporary pluralistic, multicultural societies
In recent years I have been presented as a “controversial
where various religions coexist. Several Fronts, Two Universes,
intellectual”. What this means is not quite clear, but in effect
One Discourse - the essence of that approach and of the
everyone admits that a controversial intellectual is one whose
accompanying theses originated much earlier than 9/11. Neither
thought does not leave people indifferent: some praise it, others
did it come as a response to Samuel Huntington’s mid-1990s
criticize it, but in any case it causes them to react and think. I have
positions about the “clash of civilizations” (which anyway have
never kept to a single field of intervention: I have not dealt only
been largely misinterpreted). As early as the late 1980s, then in my
with the “Islamic religion”, although it is important
1992 book Muslims in the Secular State, I stated the first
What I Believe, to note that one of the areas I work on, is indeed fundamentals of my beliefs about the compatibility of values and
theological and legal reflection starting from within Islamic the possibility for individuals and citizens of different cultures and
references. I do not represent all Muslims but I belong to the religions to coexist positively (and not just pacifically). Unlike
reformist trend. I aim to remain faithful to the principles of Islam, what I have observed among some intellectuals and leaders,
on the basis of scriptural sources, while taking into account the including some Muslim thinkers and religious representatives,
evolution of historical and geographical contexts.
those views were by no means a response to current events nor
SEVERAL FRONTS, TWO UNIVERSES, ONE a change of mind produced by the post- 9/11 trauma. They
represent a very old stance which was confirmed, developed, and
DISCOURSE
clarified in the course of time. Its substance can be found in my
My discourse faces many-sided opposition and this obviously first books and articles in 1987–1989; those views were then built
prevents it from being fully heard in its substance, its subtleties, on and expanded in every book I wrote up to the present
and its vision for the future. Some of the criticisms expressed are synthesis. A Muslim’s religious discourse, and the mediator’s role
of course sincere and raise legitimate questions— which I will try itself, bring about negative reactions in both universes of
to answer in the present work—but others are clearly biased and reference.
41
Tariq Ramadan • focus
What makes things more difficult is that I do not merely shed
light on overlapping areas and common points between the two
universes of reference but that I also call intellectuals, politicians,
and religious figures to a necessary duty of consistency and
selfcriticism. My interlocutors do not like this latter exercise so
much because indeed it is not easy. The encounter between the
West and Islam (between civilizations, nations, and/or citizens)
will not be achieved constructively and positively through mere
wishful thinking, by What I Believe optimistically recalling the
existence of common values. The problem lies further upstream.
All of us should show humility, respect, and consistency. Humility,
by admitting that nobody, no civilization or nation, holds a
monopoly on universals and on the good, and that our political
and social systems are not perfect; respect toward others
because we should be convinced that their richness and
achievements can be beneficial to us; and last consistency, because
the other’s presence acts like a mirror in which we should
confront our own contradictions and inconsistency in the
concrete, day-to-day implementation of our noblest values. This is
a difficult exercise but an imperative one. Instead of unfairly
comparing the ideal of our theoretical values with the other’s
practical deficiencies, we must compare practices, shed light on
contradictions and mutual hypocrisies, and together impose a
double requirement: clarifying the area of our common values and
striving to be ever more faithful to them intellectually, politically,
socially, and culturally. This strict, staunch commitment has caused
me to be perceived as a “traitor” by some Muslims and as a “fifth
column infiltrated agent” by some of my Western fellow-citizens.
To Muslims, I repeat that Islam is a great and noble religion but
that all Muslims and Muslim majority societies did not in the past
and do not now live up to this nobleness: critical reflection is
required about faithfulness to our principles, our outlook on
others, on cultures, freedom, the situation of women, and so on.
Our contradictions and ambiguities are countless.
To Westerners, I similarly repeat that the undeniable
achievements of freedom and democracy should not make us
forget murderous “civilizing missions”, colonization, the Several
Fronts, Two Universes, One Discourse 23 destructive economic
order, racism, discrimination, acquiescent relations with the worst
dictatorships, and other failings. Our contradictions and
ambiguities are countless. I am equally demanding and rigorous
with both universes.
MULTIPLE IDENTITIES
FIRST AN AMERICAN (A EUROPEAN,
AN AUSTRALIAN), OR A MUSLIM?
Globalization, migrations, exile, increasingly rapid political and
social change, all these phenomena cause fear, anxiety, and
tension. Former landmarks seem outdated and fail to provide
serenity: who are we at the core of such upheavals? The issue of
identity stems from those deep disturbances. When so many
people around us, in our own society, no longer resemble us and
appear so different, we naturally feel the need to redefine
ourselves. Similarly, the experience of being uprooted, of
economic and political exile, leads to this quest for identity at the
core of an environment that is not naturally ours. The reaction is
understandable but what should be stressed here is that it is
above all a re-action to a presence or an environment felt as
foreign. Thus one defines one’s identity by reaction, by
differentiation, in opposition to what one is not, or even against
others. The process is a natural one, and it is just as natural that
the approach should become binary and eventually set a more or
less constructed “identity” against another that is projected onto
“the other” or “society.” Identities defined in this manner, reactive
identities, are in essence unique and exclusive, because of the very
necessity that has given rise to them: the point is to know who
one is and, clearly, who one is not.
This attitude is natural and, once again, understandable in a
period of rapid upheavals, but it is unhealthy and dangerous.
Attempts to clarify things are actually oversimplifying and above
all reductive. Clear answers are expected from oneself and one’s
fellow-citizens: one should be primarily “American,” “Australian,”
“New Zealander,” “Italian,” “French,” “British,” “Dutch”—or
primarily “Jewish,” “Christian,” or “Muslim.” Any answer that
attempts to qualify this exclusive self-definition tends to be
perceived as ambiguous. More fundamentally, this casts doubt on
the loyalty of individuals, and particularly today of Muslims who
are required to say whether they are first and foremost “Muslim”
or “American,” “Canadian,” “South African,” “Singaporian,”
“French,” “Italian,” “British” . . . The question explicitly addresses
their definition of their identity whereas implicitly, and more
seriously, it has to do with loyalty. Since one can only have one
identity, one can only have one loyalty. A clear, unqualified,
unambiguous answer must be given!
I mean to build bridges between
two universes of reference...
42
Tariq Ramadan • focus
Yet the question itself is meaningless. Obsessed with the idea of
defining oneself in opposition to what one is not, one ends up
reducing oneself to a single identity that is
supposed to tell everything. Yet there are
different orders within which one will have to
define oneself differently. Asking whether one
is primarily “Muslim” or “American,”
“Australian,” “Italian,” “French” or “Canadian”
opposes two identities and affiliations that do
not belong to the same realm. In the realm of
religion and philosophy, that which imparts
meaning to life, a human being is first and
foremost an atheist, a Buddhist, a Jew, a
Christian, or a Muslim: her or his passport or
nationality cannot answer the existential
question. When an individual must vote for a candidate at an
election, she or he is first an American, Italian, French, or British
citizen involved in national affairs. Depending on the realm or the
field of activity, the individual therefore puts forward one identity
or another, and that is not contradictory. At a talk I was giving
one day in Greece, at George Papandreou’s invitation, the
economist Amartya Sen expressed his total agreement with my
thought through a fine illustration. Suppose,
he said, you are a poet and a vegetarian. If you
are a dinner guest, this is no time or place to
insist on your identity as a poet, while if you
attend a poetry circle, you are certainly not
going to introduce yourself as a vegetarian,
for you would be seen as eccentric. In other
words, you have more than one identity and
you give priority to one of those identities or
the other depending on the environment or
situation, without this affecting your loyalty to
one order of affiliation or the other. A poet
who says he is a vegetarian at a meal is no less
a poet! The example is indeed enlightening, and it proves that the
question of what one is foremost (or exclusively) is a bad
question, a question that must be questioned and that, ultimately,
one should refuse to answer.
...one ends
up reducing
oneself to a
single
identity...
Extract from WHAT I BELIEVE by Tariq Ramadan pub.
Oxford University Press 2010
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editorial note • Heather Wells
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44
Michael Lewin• mind, body & spirit
A peaceful
simplicity
A
thousand, uninvited winds bring a thousand changes.
"This is good" we happily tell ourselves, announcing
delight at our welcomed new arrival. But then suddenly,
without apparent warning, a cold, biting front unsettles us as
change sweeps in again. "Ah, this is bad" we declare, feeling
somehow robbed of our previous state of good fortune. So on
these very winds of change our anxieties and fears are borne that
drive us on into activity, into ‘busyness': "I must do this, I must do
that”, we assert to ourselves, perhaps feeling over-stretched and
anxious about possible negative outcomes.
So many times we can judge a situation prematurely or
superficially to conclude that it is a 'bad break', but if we reflect
more fully on the situation and explore it more deeply we may
very well discover within it seeds of learning - seeds of further,
richer understanding. In the hurricanes that blow ferociously and
recklessly through our lives, trying to rip them apart, we can find
a place of stillness and peace that can teach us acceptance,
humility and the need to heal.
To seek a grounding in peace, that keeps us calm in moments of
personal crisis, to cultivate a settled mind that can help shield us
from the full force of suffering and conflict, requires deep-seated
adjustment on our behalf. But it is something that we need to
pursue and develop as we tread deeper into the spiritual life.
Looking for peace, however, in the world around us, is a futile
exercise because it can never be found there; wherever we may
search. Peace in reality is an inner quality - peace is WITHIN US.
No one can give us this gift nor take it away from us because
peace is a product of our own minds, our own 'non judging' minds
that have abandoned the heavy weight of expectation, opinion and
criticism.
" No paradise of the East
No paradise of the West
Seek along the way you have come
They are all within you. "
equilibrium, that has to be sought, it has to be worked at,
otherwise there is a risk of us being carried away on the everrising tide of mass consumerism that threatens to engulf us all.
Each of us carry within us an obligation to embrace simplicity as
a way of self regulation. That is accepting less - less of everything.
For in the simplicity mode of living we are encouraged to let go
of all that binds us, all that complicates our lives so that we can
rediscover a calmer, healthier state of being, not just solely for our
mind and spirit, but also for our bodies too.
At its very core simplicity recognizes the imperative of developing
a 'not wanting ' mind so that we can start to see through the
illusion of craving and desire, to see the harm that these restless
energies can cause, both in ourselves and in society as a whole.
Active participation in a consumer led culture will never bring any
real, enduring pleasure or lasting satisfaction; and it almost
certainly will never contribute to any potential for self-deepening.
The call to reductionism will though, if energetically engaged with,
enable us to deal much more skilfully and effectively with our
constantly demanding world in an enlivened, refreshed way to see
with clear vision all that is precious in our individual and collective
lives.
A life of simplicity gives us more time to notice the things that are
really important. It engenders a sensitivity - makes us more aware,
more mindful of the world around us and our sacred
connectedness to it. And if we commit ourselves fully to it, in
every possible way we can, we will undoubtedly be brought to a
threshold of a real peace, a deep abiding serenity that we may
have never experienced before.
" Here none think of wealth and fame
All talk of right and wrong is quelled
In autumn I rake the leaf - banked stream
In spring I attend the nightingale."
Daigu Ryokan (1758-1831)
The Zenrin
In the process of building up a strong sense of composure, in
order to work with life effectively, we inevitably have to nurture
and refine our discriminatory powers for discerning what is
actually important for us. Unfortunately so much of our
economically driven society has now become something of a
sideshow that has no real, deep significance for us, spiritually
speaking. So finding a personal balance within its culture becomes
an even more difficult and urgent task. It is a balance, an
45
circling the world • Rev Dr Marcus Braybrooke
Celebrating Difference
Discovering Unity
A Personal Reflection on the Parliament of the World’s Religions
A
Parliament, in the original sense, is an occasion when
people talk together. The six thousand participants in the
Fifth Parliament of the World’s Religions, held in
Melbourne in December 2009, certainly did this in good measure.
There were numerous lectures, panel discussions and seminars as
well as conversations in corners of the spacious new Convention
Centre or over the table at mealtimes. Yet the most precious
moments were when heart spoke to heart or in silence we
shared communion with the Divine who is faith-blind and colourblind.
‘Celebrating Difference’ and ‘Respect for the Other’ were the
catch-words. The fact that such a diverse gathering, with people
from many countries and faith communities, could come together
in enjoyable fellowship was a significant witness to the fact that
religions need not be a cause of division, but a means of mutual
enrichment and shared action for the common good. This was
important in Melbourne, which is now a vibrant multi-cultural
city.
There were opportunities to learn more about one another’s
religions, to listen to his or her music and to share in their rituals.
There were discussions about the relation of faiths to each other,
and a focus on the religious contribution to the critical issues
facing humanity today. Uppermost was concern for the
environment. Australia’s First People – the Aborigines - made a
significant contribution by reminding us that the Earth is sacred.
They also made us more aware of the oppression and alienation
from which many indigenous people suffer.
Because of the nature and variety of programmes, each
participant would experience her or his own Parliament. For me,
the moments I remember most vividly were renewing global
friendships, and sharing times of personal reflection. At the
session on ‘Older People: Revered or Redundant’ led by my wife
Mary, several people talked about their difficulties in ensuring
proper care for their parents. Others, from several faiths, spoke
from their experience as hospice chaplains. An American army
chaplain particularly moved me as he talked about ministering to
soldiers, especially after one of them had been killed. Despite the
ceremonial element of mourning, there is a culture of denial of
grief, which may be why so many soldiers, who have seen active
service, suffer from prolonged trauma.
A similar heart to heart sharing took place at the retreat style
programme: ‘The Inner Voice of Peace: Interfaith a Life Changing
Experience’ which was led by Sister Maureen of the Brahma
46
Kumaris and myself.We needed more than the set hour and a half
for this session and, to escape from the lecture room, we met at
the Seamen’s Centre across the River Yara from the Convention
Centre. Introducing our time together, I recalled that as a student
on my first visit to India, I received the invaluable counsel that:
“the outer dialogue must always be accompanied by the inner
dialogue” - we talk to a person of another faith, but then - for
which silence is essential - we reflect on that conversation with
the Lord. As such interfaith becomes a life changing experience.
Several participants very movingly shared their spiritual journey.
As they did so, I realised why for me the concept of ‘Celebrating
Difference’ is not enough. It is good to meet respectfully with
people of other faiths and learn about their beliefs and practices,
but you can do this without reflecting on your own. As Teilhard
de Chardin once wrote, ‘You can travel round the world without
moving an inch’. The concept of ‘Respecting the Other’ allows
members of more traditional faith traditions to participate in
interfaith gatherings - the wider the participation, the greater the
contribution to ‘social cohesion’. But for those for whom
interfaith becomes a life changing experience, their attitude to
traditional beliefs and practices is more questioning. They sense
a Divine Reality that transcends the particular paths, and in whose
presence there is a deeper unity.
This I experienced in the religious observance arranged by the
World Congress of Faiths and in the Peace Prayer ceremony.
Most religious observances at the Parliament were arranged by
members of a particular faith community who invited others as
guests, or they were what are called ‘serial ceremonies’ in which
members of each faith in turn share readings from their
scriptures. The WCF observance ‘Respect for the Earth’ was
different. It was a unified liturgy, drawing on the riches of several
traditions, which were then woven together. We joined in prayers
of thanksgiving, sorrow and commitment and after a prayer to the
Four Winds, we greeted each other in a circle of peace.
On the last evening I shared in the dedication of Peace Prayer
Pole – ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’. The flags of every nation were
there and every country was prayed for by name. At one level
there was diversity, but at a deeper level there was spiritual unity.
1,000 World Prayers, compiled and edited by Rev Dr Marcus
Braybrooke, President of the World Congress of Faiths, has recently
been reprinted published by O-Books www.o-books.net @ £12.99
Eleanor Nesbitt / Owen Cole • book review
Cole Sahib:The Story of
a Multifaith Journey
by Owen Cole, Brighton, Sussex Academic Press, 2009,
204pp., £16.95 (paperback), ISBN: 9781845 193362.
O
ver several decades Owen Cole has inspired students,
colleagues and readers with his commitment to
building interfaith understanding. His autobiography
shares his insights with a new audience. As he tells us, ‘This story
has three intertwining strands. One is my deep interest in
religious education from 1954 onwards… until now; the second
is the multifaith journey that I have travelled since about 1968; and
the third is my own continuing spiritual pilgrimage’ (p. viii).
As an educator, based in higher education institutions in Leeds
and Chichester, Cole played a leading part in establishing religious
education as a broadly based study of beliefs and values, and he is
particularly well known for his many publications on the Sikh
religion. He wrote on the Hindu tradition too, and his
observations on teaching about Christianity effectively, in a nonconfessional way, have still not received the attention they
deserve. He was a founder member of the Shap Working Party on
World Religions in Education, which pioneered and promoted the
accurate and sensitive teaching and study of ‘world religions’ at all
levels in education.
Cole has dedicated his autobiography to his grandchildren, and
it starts with glimpses of his own childhood home and of his
schooldays. He writes with affectionate respect for his father, a
coal miner turned Congregationalist minister, whose liberal
Christianity remains the basis for Owen Cole’s own lifelong
values. He recalls incidents from his service as a conscientious
objector, as a school teacher, and as a teacher trainer.
He tells, for example, how it was seeing the death of a blackbird
that he had shot with an air rifle, and – on film – the effects of
Australian soldiers setting fire to a Japanese bunker, that set him
on the path to conscientious objection. Thus, when he was called
to register for National Service he joined the Friends Ambulance
Unit, and proceeded to serve with American Mennonites in
Germany, before serving in the Bradford Royal Infirmary and then
helping Hungarians in Hednesford.
As regards religious education Cole Sahib records changing
times and also changes in his own attitude – notably to the legal
requirement for collective worship in English schools (p. 133)
which must still, in accordance with the 1988 Education Reform
Act, be ‘mainly Christian’. As a pupil in the 1940s and as a newly
qualified teacher in the 1950s he totally accepted the daily
practice in state schools of ‘collective worship’, a daily act of
whole-school Christian worship. But by about 1970 this
acceptance had turned into outright opposition.
This shift in his thinking was part and parcel of his own
reflective multifaith journey, in which his engagement in Leeds
with people from a range of faith communities was seminal. He
illuminatingly relates initiatives and issues among Black, Sikh,
Muslim, Hindu, and Jewish communities there, including his
involvement in the Yorkshire Committee for Community
Relations. Here he met a local Sikh, Piara Singh Sambhi, who
became his co-author and ‘brother’. This partnership was in many
ways a model for good practice in developing inter-faith
understanding, and it is perhaps seen at its best in the book which
they co-authored on Sikhism and Christianity: A Comparative Study
(Macmillan 1993). The multifaith strand of Cole’s journey took
him to Israel as well as to India and Pakistan – three chapters
recall an array of experiences of the sub-continent.
Many of his acute observations merit reflection. For instance,
he points out that Christians can be affirming of Muslims and
Jews, while being disparaging about Mormons and Jehovah’s
Witnesses, and so on. It is somehow easier to relate to people
of a straightforwardly different faith than to engage acceptingly
with people whose faith community may be more closely related
to one’s own and regarded as unorthodox by one’s own
community.
Clearly the ‘spiritual journey’ strand in Cole Sahib’s life is
inseparable from the other two. What comes across strikingly is
the unswerving faithfulness to his background and to his guiding
insights that is expressed over and over again in meeting
creatively the challenges of changing circumstances. He remains
a ‘Bradford nonconformist’ (p. 33) whether embracing
Anglicanism or Quakerism, while respecting and nurturing the
cultures and consciences of all.
In Cole Sahib readers of Faith Initiative may find many resonances
with their own journeys, as well as stimulus for discussion. Cole’s
delight in his ongoing discoveries is an encouragement to his
readers to look for opportunities for encounter and dialogue and
to follow them through, and his writing is amply seasoned by
humour. Fittingly, and in keeping with his finding of compassion
and mercy in Islam (p. 192), he concludes with a Sufi story of the
traveller, recoiling in fear as he sees someone advancing towards
him in the desert. As he draws nearer, the traveller realises that
the man is a friend, until they are nearer still and, recognising that
he is his brother, he runs forward to embrace him.
Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit,
Institute of Education, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
[email protected]
© 2010, Eleanor Nesbitt
47
Religious Symbolism •Suzanne Rees Glanister
Holiness and theHalo
s an artist, and a Nichiren Buddhist, I have become
interested in the religious symbol known as the halo or
nimbus that, for hundreds of years, has surrounded the
heads of great and holy people in paintings and sculptures across
a range of religious traditions.
A
In the Christian tradition, halos abound. In this typical
composition (fig 4), we see a Romantic depiction of Christ with
a halo that really is more in keeping with the oval body nimbus
we saw in the last picture of the Buddha. Christ seems to be
walking out of a huge ‘splash’ of light.
Dictionaries tell us that the word halo comes from the Greek
word for the ‘circular threshing floor’ and is subsequently used to
describe the circle or disc of light surrounding the sun or the
moon. In art this disc or circle has been adopted to depict the
holiness and greatness of individuals – it is a symbol of the light
that emanates from them.
In Giotto’s famous Nativity (1304-06) (fig 5), we note that the
baby Jesus has a halo which has the cross inscribed on it...life and
death in one symbol. Mary, as the mother of Jesus, has a halo so
has Joseph and the messengers or angels - neither the midwife
nor the shepherds, as more earthly beings, are honoured in this
way.
Conventionally it has been drawn round the head of Christ or
saints in the Christian tradition, and Gurus, Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas in other religious traditions, even stretching back to
depictions of ancient Egyptian deities. Artists have created a
variety of ways of presenting this symbol – some halos appear to
be merely a hoop of light, while others are more solid in
appearance, often, but not always, gold and some have rays
emanating from their centre.
Fig 6. In this Giotto painting of an Angel flying with some
speed out of what looks like the cosmic sky, he/she has a
wonderful golden halo, which would seem to denote the highly
revered significance of these divine messengers, especially when
they are heralding an event of religious importance.
The artist, by painting or carving a halo behind the head of a
figure, seeks to draw the viewer’s eye, ensuring that he or she is
aware that this is a person of special standing, one to be revered.
By using a golden halo, the artist is inferring that the figure is holy
or even Godlike.
A clearer understanding of how artists have conveyed this
important message can be gained from viewing some of the
sculptures and paintings created over hundreds of years, those
featured here date from 4th Century CE.
Fig 1. Is a Standing Buddha from the Late Northern Wei
dynasty (386 - 534), the nimbus is carved from the same piece of
stone as the Buddha. This is a typical statue of the Wei dynasty....
the large open eyes, gentle smile and the tiered lower hems and
drapery.
Fig 2. We see a Standing Buddha with head nimbus, from the
Northern Qi dynasty in China 550 -577 CE. The Buddha’s head is
surrounded by two layers of lotus petals in relief, which in turn
are surrounded by an engraved pattern of painted motifs.
Five circles, no doubt representing the light emanating from the
halo, are arranged at regular intervals around the pattern. Seated
Buddhas are carved in high relief around the edge of the nimbus.
Fig 3. Depicts a triad from the same period as the Buddha
flanked by two Bodhisattvas. Each of the three heads is framed
by a halo consisting of lotus petals in relief inside circles. The
Buddha is also surrounded by an oval body halo, divided into
bands of different colours.
48
Fig. 7 The first painting from the Sikh tradition is of Guru
Nanak, and it comes from 19th century Punjab. Here Guru Nanak
seems to be meditating and has a finely drawn halo round his
head. As you can see, the Guru's robe is inscribed with calligraphy.
The front is in Arabic characters, in naskh script, with verses from
the Qur'an, and the sleeves and part of the hem of the robe are
inscribed with the Guru's own great composition, the Japji. The
painter has taken the holiest of words from different faiths and
wrapped the great Guru's noble figure in them.
The second Sikh painting is of Guru Nanak with the other nine
Gurus and was painted in the Punjab in 1882 (fig 8). Here the
figure of Guru Nanak is placed at the very centre of the
painting. He has a fiery golden halo round his head, and three of
the ten gurus can be seen to be endowed with halos as well.
Fig 9. Shows the figure of Guru Har Rai, the seventh Guru.
Here we have a Guru who was known for his withdrawn and
contemplative character. The Guru is quietly walking in a simple
knee-length cloak of fine muslin. He has very little jewellery on his
person. A simple turban covers his head, which is surrounded by
a finely drawn halo. The Guru is being shielded from the sun by
a parasol, which shows his exalted status. The sun itself appears
as a halo, with its fiery prongs radiating out from the round
middle disc - here we can see the close relationship between the
sun and the halo, both as circles of light.
Fig 10. In this portrait of Shah Jahan by Payag Mughal 1628, the
golden nimbus encircling Shah Jahan's head is the imperial glory
mentioned in the 10th century portraits of the Mughal emperors.
When Ranjit Singh became ruler of the former Mughal province
of Punjab, his artists followed the conventions of this painting,
depicting him on horseback, dominating the composition, and
with a halo.
Suzanne Rees Glanister • Religious Symbolism
Figure 1 Standing Buddha from Nickel Return
of the Buddha p. 102-3
Figure 3 Triad with Mandorla
from Nickel Return of the Buddha
p. 66-7
Figure 4 Jesus the Good Shepherd
painter unknown
Figure 2, Standing Buddha with Head Nimbus
from Nickel, Lukas (ed) Return of the Buddha:
the Qingzhou Discoveries (London: Royal
Academy of Arts 2002
p. 126-7)
Figure 6 Giotto di Bondone's "Flight into Egypt",
c.1303/10, Scovegni Chapel in Padua (detail).
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl
Figure 7 Guru Nanak dressed in
inscribed robe Watercolour on machine
made paper from Goswamy, B.N and
Caron Smith I see no Stranger; Early Sikh
Art and Devotion (New York: Rubin
Museum of Art 2006 p. 102-3)
Figure 5 Giotto The Nativity 1304-1306
http://www.amnation.com/vfr/Nativity%20by%20Giotto.jpg
Figure 8 Guru Nanak with Nine other Gurus Watercolour on machine made
paper from Goswamy and Smith Stranger p.121
Figure 9 Guru Har Rai, the seventh
Guru Leaf from a series of portraits
of the Gurus Goswamy and Smith
Stranger p. 145
Figure 10 Equestrian Portrait of Shah
Jahan, Mughal 1630. Gouache and
gold on paper. Photo © 1980 The
Metropolitan Museum of Art from
Stronge, Susan (ed) The Arts of the
Sikh Kingdoms (London, V&A
Publications 1999 p. 64)
49
Chasing a chimera
Searching for meaning in
contemporary ecclesiastical textile
T
ake a risk a day, feel the fear and do it has become a family motto and I would
suggest that risk, fear and doing are more fundamental to my designing and
making of vestments for the Anglican Church than any personal journey of faith.
It was a risk I took when I presented myself with the challenge of creating designs for
vestments which would respond to and enhance the nature of contemporary worship in
an ever-changing, rapidly developing, multicultural world. I sensed a need for reform, for
looking forward and, as my work gradually developed, I found a need to exclude all
reference to conventional, exclusive, limit-bound images already present in stained glass, on
the altar and in other ecclesiastical artefacts – doves, flames, crowns of thorns, grapes, fish
etcetera. I identified a need for more free, open-ended designs aimed at promoting a
questioning attitude in the viewer and thereby the possibility of a more liberal
interpretation of conceptual, theological issues such as ‘spirit’ ‘growth’ ‘salvation’ ‘suffering’
‘light’ and by implication ‘dark’.
The fear then came in having to present a mode of thinking which would stretch and
push at the boundaries of centuries-old convention in order to release a fresh vision
founded on new and maybe previously unidentified relationships. My work was to become
a new form of textual space in which anyone either with faith in God or none could
engage.
The risk and the fear did not, however, end with the decision to go forward. They are
revivified each time I enter into a new project and face up to the doing. This entails
entering into a tripartite dialogue between the commissioner, the designer-maker and the
item itself as it grows from the whisper of an idea, through the designing process, into a
stitched textile and finally into the formal presentation to the person or site. As an idea
evolves from its beginnings as, say, a line from a poem or prayer, a phrase from a piece of
music or The Bible itself, it can only gather impetus and strength if it is influenced by the
two other participants (commissioner and designer-maker) in the conversation as they
engage with it at every stage.
50
Detail: Altar Front
Detail: Altar Frontal
Of course, the key role of the designer in the process cannot be denied. It
is for that person to draw on all resources available in philosophy, theology,
fine art and aesthetics to coax into being an image which, through its careful
combination of essential design elements (line, form, colour, texture) and
properties (balance, harmony, contrast, proportion, rhythm), results in the
creation of a work true to its original inspiration.
A completed work will not succeed, however, if it does not engage a fourth
party – the viewer – in a new dialogue in the absence most certainly of the
artist and quite probably of the commissioner. None of these people is, in the
words of theologian George Pattison: ‘like the smart company chairman who
knows how to use the agenda to determine the outcome of the meeting’.i
Altar Frontal Lancaster Priory
Fear, risk and doing are again present here and crucial to any search for
potential meaning. Fear is that which stops the viewer from asking their own
questions because of a reluctance to challenge seemingly immutable tradition.
Recognising such fear is key to any advancement in interpretation.Then comes
the risk in the form of ‘daring to do’, that is to say in the daring to engage with
the work in its ecclesiastical context and draw personal conclusions as to
potential meaning and significance.
Viewers with a desire to learn must become as creative as the artist, gently
yielding to interpretation, articulating all manner of stray and fleeting
impressions, both privately and publicly and in the language of everyday
experience.
Hints are present in the context of the sacred space and liturgical drama in
which the work is set, be it an altar frontal, a hanging or a vestment. Hints are
there perhaps in an enigmatic title; or in the movement of the design itself; in
the use of colour which is by no means arbitrary; in the quality, ever-changing
sheen, sway and flow of the fabric as it responds to the movement of the
wearer. They are there in the way in which all of these are in often enigmatic
and inexhaustible correspondence with the setting and its quality of light.
Vestment
Given time, patience and a submission to guessing, to the ebb and flow of
dialogue sometimes with the self alone but essentially with other people too,
ideas should begin to surface, however humble the beginnings and however
unprescriptive and opaque the design work under scrutiny may be perceived
to be. To start out in this way on a journey of exploration into meaning may
be to chase answers, but may equally be like chasing a chimera. Any sense of
comprehension must surely, in the end, come from challenging the fear and
taking the risk of daring to submit to the perpetuity of questions about
meaning in sacred art in a largely secular world.
© Judith Peacock
i Pattison, George. The End of Theology and the
Task of Thinking About God London, SCM Press 1998:113
Lectern Frontal
The Answer
Not the darkness but twilight
in which even the best
of minds must make its way
now. And slowly the questions
occur, vague but formidable
for all that. We pass our hands
over their surface like blind
men, feeling for the mechanism
that will swing them aside. They
yield, but only to reform
as new problems; and one
does not even do that
But towers immovable
before us.
Is there no way
other than thought of answering
its challenge? There is an anticipation
of it to the point of
dying. There have been times
when, after long on my knees
in a cold chancel, a stone has rolled
from my mind, and I have looked
in and seen the old questions lie
folded and in a place
by themselves, like the piled
graveclothes of love’s risen body.
© R.S.Thomas